


Guilt's Hold

by TheSilentChloey



Series: Fire Emblem Alternate Universes [23]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2020-03-17 19:23:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 30,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18971491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilentChloey/pseuds/TheSilentChloey
Summary: Grima is Robin, Chrom's tactician and the Fell Dragon who is supposed to destroy the world.  But what happens when Grima doesn't want to?  What happens when all Grima wants is to make his own choices?





	1. Truth Exposed

_"Grima, why insist on these games? You only delay the inevitable. And besides, the alternative? Have you considered what happens should I fall? These followers of Naga will spurn you now that they've learned what you are. Kill me, and you incur the wrath of the Grimleal as well... Would you truly choose to be so utterly alone?"_

 

The voice of what was his "father" spoke.  He had to admit, he didn't really care. Killing Validar was a necessity, making sure the Exalt survived...well he didn't want to have to kill Chrom if he had a choice.  Perhaps...perhaps Validar was right, perhaps he would wind up alone for the rest of his life. It didn't matter. All Grima knew was precious little. He knew that once the Robin guise was destroyed he would be alone.  Always alone. Yet what of the alternative? Grima knew he didn't have a choice in the matter. He was supposed to bring about ruin and despair but for the first time in a long time, he'd found humans worth fighting for.  It didn't matter how he was perceived, he could live with being hated...at least he would try. He stood Thoron tome in hand a string of choices before him and only one clear path.

 

He would rather be hunted on all sides than create the circumstances of ruin his other self had made.  Though Grima knew he couldn't justify it. His path was a different one now, and it had taken the girl to make him see it.  He sighed inwardly, gripping his tome as best he could. It was time to test his resolve.

 

~*~

 

The ominous air reminded Grima of a time long past, a time he struggled to forget.  Scars wouldn't heal on their own, and the scars he carried were soul deep. Yet he couldn't let it happen again, even if Chrom would hate him- Grima would take it.  He would take the pain of being alone and cherish what little light he had been given. A small sad smile crossed his face.

 

His mind was made up and now all that was needed was for him to do what was _right_.  For the first time in his life Grima wanted to _be_ Robin.  He didn't want to lose what was so precious to him, even though he knew that was exactly what was going to happen.  He was going to lose it all. So he decided he'd fight. He'd no other path.

 

None.

 

All he had to do was put an end to it all.

 

Grima wished it didn't come down to this, yet it had.  The universe truly hated him.

 

Thoron rung out across the battlefield and as he hit Validar, he knew what awaited him.  He would find a way to figure out what his next move was, true he would probably be hunted- he would have to leave and find some corner where Naga's faithful wouldn't find him.  A place where no one would find him and he couldn't harm anyone- though he was sure that even that option wasn't allowed to him. There would be no peace until he was strung out to dry.

 

Grima knew that he'd have to hurry whatever his choice.  He saw Validar fall into his own pool of blood and the barrier fell.  The Grimleal were quick to try to swamp them but Grima saw his opening- would have seen it if not for the fact Chrom was too close.  Grima saw a worried expression in the Prince's eyes and he suddenly slammed into Chrom as a blast of Nosferatu shot across the battlefield from a sorcerer who wasn't one of the Shepherds.

 

"Robi-"

 

Grima leapt up and quickly retaliated with his own blast of dark magic, "Get to the Shepherds and get the hells out of here!" He yelled.  He would take whatever was to come alone...because Validar was right. He was alone. A deep gut wrenching pain stilled him for a moment and he looked away to the battlefield.  If he could buy them some time…

 

"Not without you Robin." Chrom said and Grima blanched,

"Just do it!" He shoved Chrom towards the Shepherds and safety, only for Chrom to grip his arm,

"I meant it Robin." Chrom said as blue eyes looked into crimson.  The moment could have lasted an eternity but Grima knew that they wouldn't have time to argue.  Chrom could kill him later, if that was the Prince's plan. Grima turned to the battlefield again and gave out a blast of his own powerful dark magic.  The wave enough to cut a path for them to get to the Shepherds,

"Go." Grima said firmly, then he sighed, "Someone has to watch you gods' damn back."

Chrom nodded and Grima did just that.  He could see Lucina's look of worry but he doubted it was for him.  She probably thought Grima would be trying to murder her father even though she had no idea that Grima had no such plans.  He'd made a choice and he would stick to it, even if they would kill him when all was said and done. He would have to wait for another opportunity to leave before that happened.  Or maybe...he wasn't sure what to do. The thought of leaving hurt as much as the thought that they would hate him now that they knew who he truly was. The fighting wouldn't last much longer he knew.

 

~*~

 

They got out easily enough, a sign that the Grimleal were not as powerful as they assumed they were.

 

Grima didn't care as he sat overlooking the sandy dunes before him.  He'd made his way to the edge of the Shepherds camp and found he could not muster the will to go further.  So he sat like a silent sentinel waiting for Chrom to decide what to do with him. He was supposed to be the one that brought about the ruined future after all and as long as he lived...Grima looked down at his human form and felt the grief rise.

 

For someone who was supposed to cause despair he'd done a damn good job of making his own.  He couldn't be sure on what the best course of action was- stay and be hated or go into the cold desert night to be hunted by all.  Maybe Chrom _should_ have let Lucina kill Grima.

 

A strangled sob escaped him and he clutched at his sides.

 

This form was frail enough- though he found himself wondering what right he had to be so selfish.  He'd lied to them- though all he really wanted was to put his past behind him. Start a new life and not be bound to…

 

Grima looked upwards to the stars for not the first time.  He was supposed to be their enemy and yet he couldn't muster the will to even harm them.  Hell he'd let Lucina kill him if Chrom hadn't intervened when he did. Grima looked down once more and felt his eyes sting.  He deserved...he didn't know what he deserved but he was sure he shouldn't be present, he should leave-

"Dueling with unpleasant thoughts Robin?" Chrom's voice was soft and not the least bit how Grima imagined it would be, "Or should I call you Grima?"

He felt his fist clench,

"I'll answer to whatever you will." He said not meeting the Prince's eye and trying to keep his composure.  His vision blurred dangerously. He didn't know what to say. Nothing could change the fact that he _was_ the Fell Dragon Grima.  Not even being Robin. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder but his eyes remained firmly on the ground.  If this was how death was to come to him then...maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Just maybe he could wind the clock back to before, to enjoy the brief freedom a little more.

 

Yet no blade pierced his flesh.

 

Grima wasn't sure why but Chrom simply stood by his side as the blurring grew worse.  Grima fought to keep it from getting worse but no matter how hard he tried the lump in his throat refused to go away and the blurring only got worse as fluid threatened to spill from his eyes, a feeling Grima was well acquainted with, even if he were to take on his dragon form.  He felt the fluid spill out of one of his eyes and knew that he couldn't stop himself from it. He felt exposed but for once maybe that was a good thing- though the truth was that he was a pitiful creature. How could he ever look any of them in the eye when they _knew_ what he was.  Maybe he should have let Lucina kill him, there was still a chance- she would make it quick he knew though her tears hurt more than he felt comfortable with and even if Chrom hadn't interfered, Grima was sure that neither could do it.  He couldn't end himself, she couldn't kill him.

 

What a truly pitiful creature he was.

 

What did it matter how he felt?

 

He was supposed to be ruining the world, causing widespread destruction and death and yet…

 

He couldn't do it.  He couldn't turn his fangs on the humans he'd spent a considerable time protecting.  Even if they hated him- he couldn't do it.

 

The spawn of Naga was nowhere in sight but Grima knew confrontation was inevitable now that the Robin guise was gone.  He dreaded what was going to happen yet in the same token...he knew it would happen.

 

Another tear fell.

 

The agony threatened to break him yet Chrom's hand didn't move from Grima's shoulder, a warm hand that should have been choking the life out of him, stabbing him with the Fang of Naga putting an end to Grima and yet…

 

Another tear rolled down his face.

 

A voice spoke softly, "Robin…" Grima tensed as Lissa came and she simply took his hand in her own.  He knew by her tone that she was pulling a concerned expression. A warmth Grima didn't deserve suddenly enveloped him.  His body trembled and he squeezed his eyes shut. If this was how death was to come to him...he would accept it.

 

The tears fell freely yet Grima couldn't bring his eyes to open.  If he was to die there was no point in making things harder.

 

Yet that wasn't what happened, Chrom spoke softly and he was sure someone wiped away the tears, though they kept coming, "Robin...you're one of us.  Nothing is going to change that, alright. Nothing."

 

~*~

 

It was a quiet trip to Ylisstol, Chrom felt it best that Robin was taken as far away from Plegia as possible for his own sake.

 

The revelation that he was meant to be the Fell Dragon Grima only hardened Chrom's resolve to help his friend.  The distance was concerning and the constant flinching was worrying. Chrom hated the thought that Robin constantly seemed to expect his own execution.  It pained Chrom more than anything and even Lucina was upset. She felt it was her fault that Robin had retracted into a shell, no matter how much Chrom said it wasn't her fault.  Chrom made a point not to call the tactician Grima, even if that was who he really was. There were somethings that he just couldn't do.

 

Robin barely left his quarters, and Chrom knew the tactician was barely eating as well.  He didn't know how to help him. Though he was pained by how much Robin had withdrawn, Chrom didn't _know_ how to help him.

 

Frederick had tried to get Robin out of his quarters with mixed success.  Though it was getting to a point where Chrom had to do _something_.  Lissa stood at Chrom's side casting a worried expression, "Chrom?" She looked to her brother and Chrom sighed,

"I'll try to get through to him...he doesn't deserve to hurt like this- even if he thinks he does." Chrom said at last and he opened the door.

 

Robin was sat curled up in a ball eyes vacant and he looked like he'd been most certainly crying.  He stiffened the moment he heard Chrom and the wary, almost fearful expression on Robin's face was too much for Chrom.

 

It made him sick to see Robin like this.

 

He couldn't bare it.  Robin didn't deserve this.

 

Chrom sighed and tried to work out the best way to approach the tactician.  He wasn't one to think things through- which got Chrom into plenty of hot water in the past but this was a time where Chrom felt he should go with his gut.

 

~*~

 

A gentle hand rested on Grima’s head as he quickly averted his gaze.  It wasn't what he'd expected but it was strangely...something Grima wasn't sure he didn't want.  He'd spent most of his time since their return to Ylisse in an almost house arrest, until his fate was decided by the Shepherds.

 

Yet Chrom just rested a gentle hand on Grima’s head.

 

He should have been killed- he'd lied to them about who he was.  So why did they not kill him?

 

True when Grima first came to them he was...a little disoriented and was trying to figure out what it was he _wanted_ to do.  It had been so insignificant to be a tactician for them- easily done that Grima had stayed against his better judgement after the first war ended.  He ended up helping Chrom plan his wedding to Maribelle- which wasn't something Grima had expected to do since he would have rathered killing the squabbling Ylissean Nobles and been done with it- a first he supposed for him.  The thought bought a weak smile to his face before the tears took over again.

 

And then there was the day Lucina was born...and gods Grima thought Chrom would have given himself a heart attack with how much he'd panicked.  Grima had somehow managed to calm Chrom down- though he knew it wasn't what he'd done as much as what he'd said at the time. And little Lucina- oh gods did Grima have a weakness for the small child.

 

Holding the frail tiny human actually made his chest ache.  She was so innocent to the darkness of the world, no different than he'd once been and he'd vowed to at least try to keep that level of suffering away from her.

 

Then he'd heard how he failed to keep that vow from the future version of the child.  It was the first time he'd experienced self-loathing. He couldn't believe he'd break that promise but having kept a close eye on Lucina- he knew she told the truth.  He just knew it and it... _hurt_...more than anything could have hurt.

 

He almost would have ended himself then.

 

If they were not about to step into a war with Valm and Grima being needed.

 

The sound of a scraping chair told Grima that Chrom chose to stay and he felt an odd feeling in his chest that he couldn't describe.  He heard Chrom say something about a warm mug of tea for them both and Grima's much loved chocolate biscuits. He still couldn't meet Chrom's eyes but somehow he felt as if Chrom was up to something.  He felt the edge of hope despite the fact he deserved to die.

 

"You know I still haven't thanked you Robin." Chrom said calmly and Grima frowned, inadvertently his eyes met Chrom's, "You always had a knack for keeping us all safe." He said and Grima looked down, and Chrom sighed, "You are your own person Robin.  Fell Dragon or not." Grima tensed and Chrom gently tipped his chin their eyes met and he spoke, "You are who you _want_ to be, Robin." Grima bit his lip as more tears threatened to spill, and Chrom kept his line of sight.  Grima wanted to breakaway, to have the ground swallow him whole, to have himself stabbed by Falchion- anything- than this.

 

He didn't want to cause the ruined world that hurt Lucina- yet he had.  He hurt the people closest to him. The only humans he felt he- Grima trembled as his body started to shake and he physically couldn't see.  "It...I…" He sobbed helplessly and felt Chrom pull him to his chest.

 

Grima knew Chrom wasn't always the wisest man but in that moment...it was what Grima needed.  His sobs the only sound in the room as he was enveloped in a warmth he knew he didn't deserve.

 

~*~

 

Lissa stood outside the door as she heard the pained sobs from Robin.  Her heart ached as she knew how the tactician felt. Even if he was supposed to be Grima, she trusted Chrom and as she opened the door quietly she saw Robin's head pressed to her brother's chest.  Their eyes met and Lissa knew that in that moment at least that Chrom was willing to help Robin- Grima- as best he could. She felt he deserved that much. After all, he wasn't as evil as he thought himself to be.


	2. The First Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So the response merited another chapter...and this may actually turn into a full blown story yet...

Agony…

 

Pure white hot agony.

 

A never ending pain...

 

~*~

 

It had been three full weeks since the the Ylisseans had left the Dragon's Table, since Grima had been exposed for what he really was and as he basically acted as if under house arrest, Chrom had looked through every damned text that had anything that might help the Fell Dragon be more like Chrom felt he should be.  It was the consensus among the Shepherds that they wouldn't call the dragon Grima in his presence- Chrom refused to call him Grima at all. As if the very act of saying Grima was a byword for something best unmentioned as they wanted to save the tactician.

 

Today it was Olivia's turn to "guard" Grima- though he never sort to harm anyone, nor did she feel threatened by his presence.  He seemed to simply sit quietly most of the time. Though he did tend to stay within his bed chambers a lot and rarely if ever came out of them of his own volition.  The only time Olivia had seen him out of the chambers was when Chrom and Maribelle insisted Grima was to at least eat three times a day and generally keep tidy.

 

Today Grima was at the desk.  A good start she hoped as he often didn't leave his bed chambers and usually he seemed to be 'asleep' although she doubted that.  He seemed to have lost a lot of weight which worried her a lot. She knew it wasn't fair for him to treat himself so. She noticed that he was carefully working on something that was small-scale.  His crimson eyes carried a rare look of concentration she missed. Olivia came to get a better look and saw it was a very tiny- though well made- theatre. She felt a small pang she couldn't explain in that moment.

 

She remembered when he'd spotted her savings scatter.  At the time it had felt embarrassing that he'd seen it- Olivia being forced to explain what it was as she was beyond mortified- and he'd said that he'd figure something out to help her dream.  At the time she had not thought that Robin- Grima was so generous. It had surprised her. And even now, he was surprising her still. But by the gods she was saddened to see how much weight he'd lost.  His coat was much too loose and his clothing...Olivia wanted to cry. She knew how much now that Chrom was worried and now she understood why everyone had thrown themselves into trying to help the tactician.  She came to him and Robin- Grima tensed.

 

Olivia did the only thing she could do, given the circumstances.  She pressed him to her lithe frame- to his apparent embarrassment it seemed- and couldn't help the sobbing that escaped her.  She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that. Her soft grief struck cries of, "Oh Robin…" filling the air. The thin frail body she held trembling as if his emotional hold was lost.  She swore she heard him cry.

 

~*~

 

Grima didn't know why Olivia was so upset, surely it was an act of some kind?  Yet somehow he found himself longing for it not to be. He didn't deserve any kindness, least of all from those he'd lied to...yet…

 

Did Grima really lie to them?

 

Or was he lying to himself?

 

He couldn't help the sobs wracking his frail form.

 

~*~

 

The night had been cool, as the last of the sun's rays faded away.  Frantically the figure looked around him. Trying to figure out what he should do, trying to find a way out of the nightmare.  He'd been made to kill the woman who was supposed to be be his mother by the Grimleal, they told him she was a  _ traitor _ \- a traitor who had tried to keep him from his true power-  _ his true power was his own and it wasn't like she could stop him if she wanted to _ \- yet he didn't have the will to tell them he didn't want to turn his fangs on a human who made him feel...a strange nostalgic feeling.  A warmth in his chest Forneus once made him feel, until the human betrayed him. A feeling Grima wanted to feel, a feeling...he wished he could have- and they took that feeling away from him.  They forced him to remember what Foneus had done to him, saying that the woman was acting that way while planning to kill him-  _ to kill him _ \- and the woman did not care about him.

 

He had allowed their influence to cloud his judgement long enough.  Now that he was clear of them...he was alone. He sunk to his knees and felt tears for the first time in his existence.

 

~*~

 

When he woke it was to a headache the likes of which he didn't like.  Voices spoke softly until one very concerned one said, "Chrom, we have to  _ do _ something."

Grima groaned mentally, how fortunate he seemed to be having been found by the Prince of Ylisse and child of Naga, Chrom, his voice was oddly enough soothing, though Grima didn't particularly know why, "What do you propose, Lissa?" He asked and Grima groaned more,

"I- I don't know!" 'Lissa' cried.  Grima's head felt like a hot iron had been rammed into his skull and he let out a real groan of pain.  Funny how the Grimleal were so quick to turn on him when it suited them, "Oh!"

Groggily Grima tried to make himself sit up, move, to do anything other than face the wretched children of Naga.  The best he managed was a pained grunt. Those mages took more out of him than he'd initially thought, "I see you're awake now.  Please try to relax, Lissa will be able to heal you."

"Milord I must speak, surely you realise this person is clearly Plegian-" Grima groaned again,

"He's hurt Frederick.  As Shepherds it's our duty to help people in need, we can't let the ghosts of the past harm the future." Grima frowned at that line of thinking but he found himself listening to Chrom.  The man had a surprisingly soothing voice that helped Grima forget the pain he was in, if only a little, though Grima found it amusing that Chrom considered himself a Shepherd. What a strange human he was, "Besides Emm wouldn't want us to turn anyone who was hurt down.  Even if they are Plegian."

There was a huff from the other male and he said, "All the same Milord, I would emphasize caution, we do not need a wolf in the flock."

Grima was pretty sure that he could have killed these humans if he wanted but he wasn't in any condition to argue with them.  The girl healed him as best she was able and he was soon back on his feet, "What brings you here?" Chrom asked him and Grima tried to get a sense of where he was,

"I don't remember." He lied, "I...was fighting...someone and escaped?  I think...but…" his head chose that moment to ache again and he clutched at it without meaning to expose he wasn't as well healed as they apparently hoped,

"Woah, easy there." Chrom said bracing Grima to his shock, "Lissa?"

The girl cast an exhausted eye, "I did my best Chrom but I need to rest...that much healing…"

"Ah, of course.  Well then. Why don't we head into town and get you the help that you both need."

Grima wanted to scream in anger but something about the way Chrom spoke reminded him that he was at their mercy for the time being and Grima hated it when he owed humans a debt.  Still, it was...nice to have some care, even if it wasn't going to last once they found out who he truly was. He ambled along quietly while the two men spoke. The one who wore the great knight armour was called Frederick the Wary- a title that Grima found amusing.  Of course the younger man was Chrom, Prince of Ylisse. Grima knew this as Validar had told him about the state of Ylisse and their actions- with a good deal of disdain.

 

Chrom turned back to Grima, "I suppose proper introductions are in order," he seemed sheepish and Grima chuckled.  He regretted it almost as soon as he did as his side ached "I'm Chrom, this is my delicate little sister Lissa-"

The blond haired girl on the back of the knight's horse said sharply, "I'm not delicate!"  She turned to look at Grima, "Please ignore my brother, he can be a bit thick sometimes."

Grima however said, "Considering your current level and stats, it is safe to say you're delicate."

The three looked at Grima in shock, "Wait...did you say what I thought you just said?" Chrom asked and the knight looked like he wanted to pull his lance, Grima shrugged, the motion hurt but it wasn't the worst pain he'd been in,

"I think I might have trained as a tactician at some point." He said and Chrom gave a curious expression, "Though it seems very little in the way of memories have returned to me.  Why the stats I don't know." Grima was lying again. He'd been studying tactics ever since he'd been defeated by the wretched children of Mila and Duma. Still he needed a new name if he were to truly do what he  _ thought _ he was planning on doing.  He was possibly going to regret this but he guessed it would kill some time...while he was thinking he happened to look around the trail and spot a bird hopping about in the branches.  "Robin…" said Grima and the bird flew off,

"Sorry what was that?"

Grima blinked and made a choice that would change the course of his fate, he hoped, "My name...it's Robin."


	3. Fever and Reflections

My name is Robin…

 

But I am Grima…

 

Who...who am I?  Who am I? Who am I truly?  Am I Robin, or am I Grima?

 

~*~

 

Grima followed the 'Shepherds' to Southtown.  They were part way there when the sight of smoke rising caught their attention.  Grima could have left the Ylisseans then but seeing as he owed them a debt, he felt he should stay- for now.  Besides there was the promise of destruction and since when did Grima ignore the chance to do some of his own destruction?

 

The battle was hardly that difficult with Grima to guide them.  His tactics, mastery of the tome and reasonable skill with the blade made Lissa in awe of him.  Yet Grima brushed off her praise- and Chrom's as well- he knew it wasn't ever enough. He needed to be better.  The remains of the bandits proved that. As well as newly obtained injuries which Lissa had done her best to patch up.  Something had to be done about the princess' training or she would be doomed to delicacy as Grima had said.

 

It was decided that they would continue to the capital.  Grima made no protest when Chrom explained the people would need help- and the fell dragon found himself wanting to figure out the Ylissean Prince.  Grima couldn't exactly pinpoint what made the man tick and to be fair he did still owe them.

 

Chrom so far seemed to be a man of his word.  How unlike Validar, who whispered like tendrils of the sweetest poison at times, Grima found himself thinking.  Still these...Shepherds continued to help Grima and since he owed them a debt anything to do with Chrom was secondary curiosity and nothing more.  The Fell Dragon couldn't indulge in curiosity yet. Though Chrom seemed willing to answer almost any question Grima had. What a curious human he was.

 

~*~

 

His eyes opened blearily to the light of another morning from a restless night.  Grima had not rested well. Chrom's insistence that he show up tidy three times a day for food he couldn't truly stomach was making it near impossible to think of eating.  Fear kept him from eating properly and Grima wished that death would come. Rather than the slow agonising wait for the blade to pierce his flesh, maybe poison, or...anything other than this inaction.  Olivia's crying yesterday had hurt to listen to, more than Grima had anticipated as he fully expected her to hate him for what he was- for them all to hate him. Maybe he was dreaming it happened. His mind was a mess, so it was possible.  Maybe he was already dead and this was Naga’s way to make him pay for daring to question the natural order.

 

Or maybe it was another nightmare inside of all the nightmares that he’d ever had.

 

Or maybe…

 

Grima felt a weak hope that maybe, just maybe he had found a way to _finally_ be free, if only he knew how to shake off the scars that were once again ripping into his soul.  Maybe all he needed to do was to reach out- to allow himself to feel everything again. To let that barrier fall the way it was...even though despair was trying to pull him down.  Another time he might have had a chance if he didn’t remember it- maybe if he truly didn’t remember anything...but then as he looked out the window he sighed. Who was he fooling- he didn’t deserve anything after all he’d done...

 

The door opened to reveal Lucina this time.  He closed his eyes. No. Anyone but her.

 

Strong, gentle hands lifted him up, "Robin…come on, it’s time to get up.  You can’t spend all day like this."

His eyes were heavy and he felt...cold.  Cold and hot. But mostly cold. He had to wonder if death were to come by her hand…her voice faded out and Grima wondered why that was.  He felt weak but-

 

~*~

 

The smoke filled his nose, a familiar smell that made him immediately be taken back to a time when he was painfully trapped.  His eyes snapped open and he panicked. His eyes glazed over as fear claimed him entirely. No amount of gentle words were able to make him forget that moment when fire burned around him, hotter and hotter…it was so close.  It was always so close. Burning on the edge of his self awareness. A figure stood and he could hear a laugh that made him feel cold. A desperate fear engulfed him

 

~*~

 

Lucina had only just gone to check on Robin to coax him out of bed and eat, when she realised he felt hot to the touch.  She had felt fear- she recognised a fever when she felt one and Robin was positively burning up. She remembered him talking with Gregor before they had found out…

 

She was quick to call out to a nearby servant- “Get Aunt Lissa and Mother!  It’s urgent!” She’d cried before going back to Robin to get a cool cloth on his forehead to try to combat his fever as best she could.  Given with how week he was, she did not like his chances, but she wasn’t going to give up on him. Grima or not, she would help the tactician who had strived to save this world.

 

~*~

 

As they sat for dinner after setting up their camp for the night Grima had sat quietly eating the meat that they’d given him.  Bear was an interesting choice of meal- not that Grima could afford to be fussy. He ate quietly without complaint and listened to the banter between Frederick and Chrom.  It amused him to watch as both argued about what to do about the bandit attacks when Chrom said, “Well what do you expect me to do? Turn a blind eye to people in need Frederick?!” Chrom’s tone told Grima that the Princeling was on the verge of losing his temper.  Grima sighed loudly and said,

“Can you not bicker so loud?” They both looked at him, “Clearly Ylisse doesn’t have the resources to make sure every pocket of her lands are defended and not because- and I assume this- the Exalt doesn’t care about the people.” He said waving the piece of meat, “Again, she has you three-”

“Erm a battalion actually-”

“Right a battalion of soldiers who are dedicated to patrolling the country, yes?” He said, “And you can only do so much without aid.  I assume given the state of the country you’re still recovering from war-”

“And you can tell this how?” Frederick asked dangerously close to his lance,

“Based on the presence of bandits.  They tend to thrive in chaos after all.” Grima said boredly, “And not to forget the most important part- you’re all basically armed to the teeth with weapons and what not.”

“A fair assumption.” Said Chrom,

“I suppose I can’t leave well alone.” Grima sighed, “I guess I could help you- for a price.  And no I don’t care for gold if that is what you are thinking- _if_ I am to help you, I’m on the front lines, no questions asked.” Grima said as a devilish grin rose unbidden, let them have their stupid war- he would be entertained by it for a while he guessed.  Chrom and Frederick looked shocked but he continued, “It will be better for me there.” He said broking no reason as to why he would make such a request.

“Right…” Chrom said a little uneasy, “Front lines...okay but I have to insist on your reasoning-”

“So that knight of yours can stab me in the back if I do not repay the debt owed to you in proper accordance.” Grima said without hesitation.  Frederick looked shocked- Grima didn’t think the knight had a limit but now he knew. The prince looked even more surprised and Grima folded his arms, “Do we have a deal?” The dragon asked them, for some reason not thinking of a blood pact- it mattered little however as he had a strange feeling that Chrom was a man of his word- a feeling he’d not felt before.

“We do.” Chrom said at last, and Grima smiled,

“Well then, the first point of business is simple.  I will bring you victory.” Grima assured them. He would bring them victory alright- however they wanted it to be so he would make it.  Besides they had a war coming and that would for the time being sate his need for destruction for a while.

 

When they settled for the night Grima simply sat a reasonable distance from the fire and lay on his stomach to watch it.

 

Flames both terrified and fascinated Grima in equal amounts.  On one hand it was a destructive force, on the other it reminded him of the wretched children of Mila and Duma who commanded it to hurt him, and that Falchion...he had seen Chrom carry one- the Queen’s Fang of Naga Holy Ruler of the Divine Dragons- and Grima had no love of the blade- for either blades.  Though rumours said that the fang that first hurt him- the Kingsfang- was lost to time. Good. Grima hated the blades and the fewer of them that was left to hurt him…

 

He must have fallen asleep.  The ground shook with the likes of which Grima did not like.  The very sky burning with fire- molten balls spewing into the air.  Grima had barely enough time to register it when the knight demanded to know where Chrom was.  Grima tore himself from the sight and yelled, “ **The hells are you going on about.  Quit blathering and speak straight**!”  As a fireball landed near them.  Grima growled and tried to see if his senses were enough to track the missing prince- and thankfully they were.  He looked at the knight and motioned that he should be followed.

 

The galloping off hooves threw Grima off as a woman utop a horse came into view with a man behind her- “ **Sir Frederick**!”  She yelled out, “ **We got some hostile bastards up ahead!  They look like…** ”

A groan that Grima knew too well made him swing and he felt shock- not those, anything but those abominations that Forneus had created alongside him- “ **Focus on the task at hand**!” The knight yelled back, “ **We need to take these out and find Milord Chrom and Milady Lissa**!” Grima frowned as the knight held out a hand to him, “Ride with me, we’ll cover more ground.” The knight said and Grima hummed,

“Fine, head towards the west- I think they might have gone there if the creatures are any indication.” Grima said and the knight gave him a look before complying.  The sound of more molten balls of death raining from the sky made Grima uneasy. Just what was going on?


	4. Question of Destruction

To say that the world was splitting apart was an understatement.  Though whole scale destruction was his domain, Grima didn't like it, truth be told he had a healthy respect for fire- though that wasn’t what concerned him.  It was how unnatural the flames were that was the problem not that there was flames in the first place.

 

Hooves clattered as he gripped the Knight's waist with as much strength as he felt should be an acceptable amount, though truth be told Grima wasn't sure what human strength was to be honest.  He'd not been in human form before now. Yet it mattered little as Frederick guided his mount to move through the forest in the direction Grima had indicated- albeit without much enthusiasm.

 

~*~

 

The fever was not easily broken.  Hours had passed and though Lucina swore several times they were close to losing Robin, he seemed to have enough fight in him to keep going regardless.  Each time one of Stahl's tonics went down Robin's throat was a worrisome time to say the least- as if they weren’t working even though according to her mother and Aunt they were.

 

Robin looked so frail, the life drawn out of him in a way Lucina didn't like.  The fever barely broke before they had to fight the secondary issue. The sight of the bite had a nasty infection- how Robin was not in any form of agony from it they didn't know.  However it had to be treated as quickly as possible- and that was a lengthy process all of its own. A pultrice was used to try to draw the infection out. It was all that they could do for the moment.  Robin’s eyes were closed and his breathing hardly good for someone meant to be at rest. A gentle touch to the main artery on his neck revealed his pulse was much too quick- a sure sign of the stress and pain he was under.

 

~*~

 

The battlefield reminded Grima of a time long past and as he  _ saw _  the risen he realised that this was no ordinary fight.  He easily guided the Shepherds to another victory- and managed to regroup with Chrom and Lissa, both none the worse for wear physically at least.  Having an archer helped. Yet what helped more was the mobility of the cavalier and knight. Grima managed to make enough of a strategy that they could get the place cleared.  It wasn't an easy task, what with the cavalier swearing every second word or so, and a few "fucks" in between had Grima shake his head. He did not think a human could be as vulgar as this woman.  Yet Chrom didn't seem to bat an eyelid over the language. Perhaps it was one of those situations where as far as Grima was concerned,  _ he _  was out of their loop.  Not that it mattered all that much.  He looked between Chrom and Frederick, and Chrom spoke, “We really need to get to Ylisstol as quickly as possible.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Grima asked then he grunted as the injuries he had yet to have fully dealt with decided to cause him pain.  Of course he would feel it now. A phantom burn raced across his skin and he closed his eyes briefly,

“You okay Robin?”

“I’ll manage.” He said in response.

“Right…” Chrom said not quite believing him.  It was at this moment that a masked figure appeared and Chrom spoke, “You have our gratitude friend.” Grima saw the lip twinge softly, as if whoever it was was trying not to break down before them.  He simply observed and didn’t really listen that much to the conversation. He caught that the figure’s name was “Marth”- another wretched Child of Naga it seemed- and that the world was in danger. Grima frowned and wondered why that might be the case…

 

~*~

 

The trip to Ylisstol- Grima had extracted that from the group by simply playing a fool- had been an interesting one.  The rest of the forest mostly unharmed for such an earthquake made Grima uncomfortable. This screamed something like himself- though he was sure that if it was him...he’d not actually wanted to make such an obvious revelation that he was in this frail and weak form.  Still it was interesting. He filed it away for future reference and perhaps a time when he was free to think about it more.

 

He had insisted that he walk for a while- a move that annoyed Frederick- though Grima did not want to let his body get too stiff.

 

They came within sight of the gates and Grima did have to admit that the city of Ylisstol did look...reasonable.  The light colours of the buildings caught his eye as well as what Frederick boasted was some of the best architecture in all Ylisse- though to Grima it was all the same.  Thabes had looked just as pretty before he burned it to the ground, as had the Dragon’s Table. Still Grima had to admit that maybe this beauty was worth keeping- somewhat.

 

The people were bustling about their day, bakers displaying fresh bread reminded Grima that his current form required sustenance.  Butchers and blacksmiths worked to various tasks to help the city and Grima saw at  _ least _  ten Annas on the road selling wears and other such goods at a cutthroat price.  Grima found himself snorting. Only an Anna could think gold solved everything. He shook his head and quietly followed Chrom’s lead and found that they came to a particularly busy square- the first time that Grima would be in the central markets- and he could see the business of the place creating a vibrancy that took him aback.  He froze. Was Thabes ever like this?

 

He shook it off before his companions noticed it.  It wouldn’t do to wonder. He would repay his debt to the Ylisseans and be done with them.

 

The people cried out joyously and Grima saw the Exalt of all people out in the open.  Sure she had the Ylissean Pegasus Knights at her side like guards but the exposure was a gamble she really couldn’t afford to have.  He could see several ways an assassin would be able to take her life and escape. Still he noticed that the calm she expressed was something at least.

 

If there was something that he had expected it was not to be taken to Ylisstol Castle.  It was large- though not the largest structure Grima had ever seen. The gates were well guarded and Grima noticed that the guards were glancing his way uneasily.  His coat likely had something to do with it- he would have cursed that but he didn’t have much in the way of options.

 

Thankfully he didn’t have to stand around and wait for long.  Chrom had him taken to the medical wing of the castle and Grima simply sat quietly while he waited for the healers to complete the task of fully taking care of his injuries.  He was amazed that humans could have the capacity to repair damage as much as they caused it. Though the healers insisted he rest for the night- apparently he needed it after all that had happened, thus Grima was stuck for the time being at least.  Chrom had come not long after the healers left. With him was his sister- the Exalt of all people.

 

~*~   
  


Grima had sat and found himself looking at the Exalt with a raised eyebrow.  He did not expect her to be a sage- likely a cleric before that since she favoured carrying a recover staff at her side.  She it seemed was well aware that he wasn’t exactly fond of company yet felt she should speak with him all the same. Grima barely listened to them both and after he heard a quiet request for him to rest from the Exalt he merely hummed and settled into the bed which he was to rest in.

 

~*~

 

The morning arrived and Grima had to say it wasn’t the worst he’d experienced.  He was fully healed and for the most part he could relax, for a short while. He however was anxious to get moving and do something.  He couldn’t sit by quietly- it was too much like the time he spent being sealed away and he couldn’t stand the thought of it.

 

So he made his way out of the room and saw that there was an activity that he couldn’t follow through with.  Eyes looked left and right as he took in the movement of the human busy-bodies. He had to admit it seemed like an ant’s nest as everyone seemed to know what they were doing and-

“Ah, good morning Robin.  Would you like to join me for breakfast?” Chrom was right on a cue that Grima wasn’t exactly sure about but he followed the prince.  What harm could come of a meal?


	5. Fire and Ice

It turned out that Chrom wanted to make sure that Grima had a more appropriate ‘contract’ than anything else.  He had a feeling that the Exalt was behind but he didn’t particularly care. After all as long as he got to have his fun he’d be fine.

 

He found himself eating a little more than intended- curse those delicious biscuits that were coated in a chocolate covering- and the mess that they made!  He had to resist the urge to eat more of them and he knew he had to start training again and...gods he was sure he’d eaten at least ten of them! He was glad when they were able to move onto other things.  He soon found that he would have to work with the unit Chrom had gathered and as he looked over the units he had to admit they had potential- potential to get themselves killed at any rate.

 

Grima couldn’t understand what Chrom saw in them- the blond idiot who went without a shirt was particularly at risk- even if the man remembered his accursed axe the lack of armour would surely lead to the man's death.  Grima had never tripped over a damn axe so many times.

 

Then there was the pegasus knight who tripped over her own two feet without even a thing in sight to make her trip- how she did not trip on Vaike's (that was what Grima thought the fool of a man was called) axe Grima did not know.

 

Thankfully there were some who seemed capable- the cavalier in green armour who could at least handle a blade if he had the time to  _not_  think of his stomach for five minutes- a mage who could throw a decent fireball if she wasn’t so stuck in her damned research- the red armoured cavalier who he’d already encountered liable to swear at the smallest provocation- a knight whom everyone else seemed to ignore, though Grima had seen the man handle the lance nicely at least knowing how to use the shield he held and the weapon and (perhaps most importantly) a troubadour- a mounted healer.

 

Sure the blond ‘noble’ was a standoffish towards him, but she had enough skill that Grima was sure she’d be able to help Lissa refine her healing- and maybe deal with Chrom while they were at it.  Still these were the  _last_  humans Grima would have chosen.  However he decided to work with what he had.  And maybe indulge in a little observation of human relationships on the side.

 

Not in the couple of thousand years he’d existed had he the chance to do so before and he intended to fully observe it.  Especially since they all had such  _interesting_  dynamics, particularly when they argued amongst themselves.  Though Grima knew that had to be nipped in the bud as soon as possible.  At least Risen were easier to make behave- though Grima didn't say that to them.  No that was something not worth mentioning lest he cause reason to be suspicious.

 

Of course their first call of business was apparently to travel to Regna Ferox.  Grima did a mental bet as to who would want to come and was surprised when Chrom added it would be a voluntary mission- which he shouldn't have said.  Grima snorted loudly making them all look at him, “Right and I suppose that means whoever’s left behind thinks that they can rest easy?” He gave an evil grin, “I suppose I should give them their training schedule for while we’re gone, just to keep them out of trouble and what not.”

“You've done that already?!” Chrom asked Grima with clear shock in his voice.  Grima’s evil grin widened,

“What else did you expect me to do?  If I am your tactician-”

“Wait the Shepherds have a tactician now?” The knight asked and Grima hummed as the others didn’t seem to hear it,

“Then I should at least give you all a fighting chance on the battlefield.” He finished holding out the papers he’d made, “So then, who plans to stay behind?  Because I can assure you that those of you foolish to think you're getting time off better guess again and be ready to train harder than you've trained thus far.  I do not do things by halves.” Grima spoke with an ominous tone waving the papers in his hand. Chrom let out a heavy sigh,

"You're not serious are you?" He asked,

"Why Chrom what a foolish question that is." Grima said with his widest grin, "I fully intend to make sure that everyone is on par if not exceeding the required strength that they need so that they can handle any mission with ease- the more experience they gain the better."

Frederick looked shocked and so did many others.  Grima simply grinned. He'd make them into beings capable of bringing down wyverns.  Then maybe they would stand a fighting chance- which was an odd thought he'd not actually entertained before now.

 

~*~

 

It was almost a full day before Grima opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Chrom, eyes closed, head on the bed beside him.  Grima could tell his body was weakened and that somehow his body had been helped along towards healing. A weak hand reached over and gently pat Chrom’s head, “You idiot.” Grima said softly to the sleeping Exalt, “Though I can’t say I blame you.” He sighed weakly, “For a human...you’re worth fighting for.  Heh...how odd that is. I suppose even I must admit when I error. So perhaps...” Grima muttered to himself. And he knew it was true. Chrom truly was the first real human to get Grima to bend to his power. And ‘ _Maybe..._ ’ he found himself thinking...well not maybe, because most definitely Lucina had a hold on Grima too- both of them.  He sighed and felt his arm fall weakly. Maybe he could keep fighting for them all. Though the pain of the past could never truly be erased, maybe this time...maybe this time Grima could begin to move forwards.  All he had to do it seemed was to keep moving forwards with the humans he'd come to treasure dearly. Even if they would not live to see the future. Grima smiled weakly at Chrom. He hoped they'd not be too mad at him for the scars he had tried so desperately to hide...

 

~*~

 

The trip to Regna Ferox tested Grima's resolve somewhat.  The stupidity of the border guards could not have annoyed him more until he remembered how the Feroxi were known for their love of combat- any excuse to fight and they would take it.  Though that did not excuse the guards failure to recognise Chrom's very obvious Mark of Naga- the foolish Prince having it exposed for the world to see and planting a big target on himself.  Grima would get Chrom into something a little more appropriate at a later date- because the fell dragon was not going to take no for an answer.

 

Even worse was that they failed to recognise Falchion.  Did they not know about the wretched Fang of Naga?! Of course Grima was annoyed that Chrom called for no death, but being a typical Ylissean, even Chrom had a limit as to how much carnage would be allowed.  Grima still took it out his anger on anything stupid enough to try and attack him (Chrom muttering about lunatics under his breath) and gave the head of the guard a decent thrashing before Chrom intervened to stop him burning her alive- and just as he was getting to the fun part- though he supposed the burns he did give her were painful enough to remind her not to spout nonsense.  She wisely kept out of his way after that. Grima however was still seething as Chrom had lectured about not hurting potential allies- Grima did have a witty comeback but he noticed Chrom's voice brokered no arguments. Grima decided a compromise was in order and tried to make a fair case. The guard had laughed,

"It seems your tactician probably wants to go a few rounds more." She chortled and Grima said in his most dangerous tone,

"As long as it's perfectly clear I will not pull any punches, I'd be happy to go ten rounds or more." His eyes gleamed with the lust of battle and the guard gulped involuntarily,

"Robin." Chrom growled, "You can't be serious!"

Grima gave Chrom a grin, "I am serious-"

"Milord!"

The pair turned to Frederick, "Yes Frederick, what is it?" Chrom asked and the knight was pale,

"There are reports of risen not too far from here making the roads much more dangerous to travel-"

Grima frowned and said, "Did you have any eyewitnesses to suggest where the beasts were headed?" Grima switched modes rather quickly and Frederick noticed by the shift in tone that the fell dragon was clearly up to something,

"A couple of injured villagers-"

Grima frowned turning to the border guard he said, "I trust you will want to relay this information to your Khan." He said, "The risen are not to be underestimated.  They are intelligent enough to follow complex commands-" he should know he'd grown up around the creatures when Forneus created him. A sick feeling crept into Grima's chest, "They will also seek out whatever weapons they can get their hands on.  Same with mounts." Grima said and Frederick looked to him,

"You mean like that Pegasus Sumia found?"

Grima nodded, "I believe so." He lied.  Of course he knew what the risen were likely to do.  He'd been  _there_  when the damn things were  _made_.  Of course he'd know what their habits were.  He neglected to mention the thantophages that were the source of the ability to control risen and that they would obey only if they were correctly placed in the death mask.  A risen without it would run rampant, attacking everything in sight. Grima  _knew_  this.  Yet why did he hesitate to say it?  He looked at the knight and Chrom. He was certain that if he told them that crucial fact that they would likely figure out he was the one responsible for a good chunk of the risen- or at least the Grimleal learning to make the risen to suit their needs.  Grima had to wonder if he was doing the right thing by not saying a word.


	6. The Sins of the Past

The gossamer curtains softly billowed in the gentle breeze that came in through the open window.  Grima was still very much bedridden but he wasn't as sick as what he had been. Crimson eyes watched the see through fabric as it swayed back and forth with the air.  He was almost ready to move as the pressing need to relieve himself was making itself known.

 

He had woken from a nightmare of a time long past that he’d tried to bury deep within himself.

 

It was a struggle to get out of bed after so long being self confined to just the room.  The sickness didn't help either, despite the fact that he was on the road to recovery.

 

It was taking all of Grima’s willpower just to make it to the door.  His fingers hesitating at the knob, curling back slightly. He didn't deserve-

 

Grima shook his head furiously.

 

No.

 

He had to stop that line of thinking.

 

He had to put his trust in Chrom and the others.  Just like they had with him on the battlefield, so he had to trust them.

 

They didn't seem to want him dead, so he held onto the hope that perhaps they felt he was at least worth keeping alive.  Though he doubted they would forgive him, at least they didn't seem to hate him. It was enough for him. For the moment at least.  He steeled his resolve and opened the door...

 

~*~

 

When the Shepherds arrived to the village, risen were swaming the area.  Grima had never seen so few in one location.

 

Risen were like pack animals, they came in hordes of at least a hundred or more and could incapacitate all but the most skilled human soldiers.

 

These risen were not ones he'd crafted then.  Still Grima knew that they shouldn't be underestimated.  They were dangerous. Their slow amble deceptive as they could attack like lightning if provoked.

 

As he came to stand beside Chrom, Grima had a feeling that things were about to get suitably dangerous and messy.  Though he could do without Frederick's glaring.

 

~*~

 

The battle was relatively easy enough.  Grima found it almost a bore it was so easily done.  Still he kept close to Chrom for the time being as he felt it best.  His eyes glanced around the area to see if there were more risen in the area.  Something was not adding up. Why would there be so few risen and why…?

 

Upon their return to the border, the Feroxi had a guard come to meet them, apparently they knew it was them this time which Grima supposed was unusual for humans.  In his mind humans were incapable of learning from their mistakes, yet the Feroxi seemed to have done just that. Grima snorted, perhaps he was wrong to think that humans were incapable…

 

~*~

 

He walked along the corridor, progress necessarily slow.  Thrice he'd had to stop to catch his breath, the illness had taken a heavy toll on him, though Grima didn't particularly care.  His needs pushed him to move and he didn't dare stop and dwell on the fact that he was- in his mind at least- breaking self imposed rules.  He almost felt afraid as his mind screamed at him to retreat.

 

Yet Grima couldn't stop.  If he did he'd never be able to find the willpower to start at least partly caring for his own needs.

 

He soon came to where he needed to be and that was a first victory.

 

It was relieving.  In more ways than one.

 

Once he'd relieved himself, he made sure to tidy himself up as much as he could.  He could already feel the exhaustion sink in and he gave himself a small once over.  He would have to have his hair cut at some point, it was getting too long for his liking- and he'd need to shave.  Funny how having a human form had those issues. In his dragon form he wouldn't have had to worry about any of it. He supposed he could deal with both.  Or he could…

 

A sigh escaped him.  He could use magic to deal with it...permanently.

 

He sighed and focused on the spell.  It would be difficult without a tome, but not impossible.  He snorted softly. Oh the fun he would have.

 

~*~

 

He did not know what was worse.  That his body was spasming against his wishes or that his will was so easily overcome by the temperature.  It was bad enough that there was a prevalence of snow. He hated the cold that went with it. The risen were easily dealt with, though Grima didn't particularly care about it.  His eyes were focused on the road before him as they walked to the arena, the place where they would stay in Central Ferox while they waited to speak with the Khan, "Damnation!" Grima hissed as his form kept shaking,

"You alright Robin?" Chrom's voice asked from somewhere to Grima's right hand side.  The fell dragon could feel his body close to passing out from the cold as another wave of shivering took over, "Robin!" Chrom's voice was even more distant now and Grima realised he'd been injured in the fight with the risen,

"Damn it…" Grima groaned as he felt for the wound in question and sure enough pulled back his hand with a substantial amount of blood on his hand.  He could see the guide stare at him in unadulterated horror. Grima could see blood dripping on the snow and he knew it had been like that for a while…

 

The world was spinning and before he realised what had happened he felt a strong pair of arms grip his form, had he fallen?  He wasn't sure anymore what had happened, the voices swirled around him and he couldn't make them out…

 

He woke to a low fire crackling away and Lissa's voice, "How did he get hurt like that Chrom?!" Her voice was...oddly scared, "The Feroxi say the blood went all the way back to where we fought those...risen."

"I don't know Lissa, but the Feroxi clerics seem to think he'll be damned lucky to-"

"Fuck what they say." He groaned, "I've had worse."

"Robin!" They cried and he felt Lissa push him back down,

"Don't you dare!" She said sharply, "Your body hasn't healed enough-"

He forced himself up, white hot pain burning him, but it was nothing compared to being cut with a wyrmslayer blade or Falchion, "I've had worse." He forced through his teeth as he used the pain to ground himself.  There was silence at his words. He held himself up a while longer and focused on shifting his body when Chrom's hands firmly pressed him back down,

"You need to rest Robin, for our peace of mind if nothing else, please."

Grima froze and looked Chrom in the eye, "What?" He said shocked at what he'd heard,

"Please rest Robin." Chrom said and Grima could  _ feel _ the sincerity in the prince's words…

 

~*~

 

Grima made his way back to his room, about as slowly as he'd been on the way from his room.  It was annoying to be so exhausted, but he kept pushing his way stubbornly forward. At least until a rush of footsteps stopped him, "Wobin!" A cheerful voice cried gripping his robe and made him freeze instinctively, "Dare you are!  I id so happy to seed you!" He turned slightly to the brightest smile he'd ever seen. Her blue eyes bright with happiness and it seemed that little Lucina had grown quite a lot since he last saw her. Grima smiled softly, he couldn't help it.  It was a slow descent to her level,

"Lucina…" His voice was soft, no doubt from disuse, "Aren't you supposed to be playing with Owain and Cynthia?" He asked only to be taken aback by her throwing her arms around him and squeezing him with as much strength as a mere child could muster.  He heard sobs and felt the knives digging into his chest. He could not bare to hear her cry. A sigh escaped him as he struggled to maintain his balance. He simply couldn't let her cry.

 

A gentleness he had never been known for at least until this particular moment saw him gently stroke the child's hair and return her embrace.  There was something about the girl that just... _ drew _ that part of him out.  Like he  _ wasn't _ the Fell Dragon, even though that was who he truly was.  As if he had a choice to decide what he wanted, then being held to nothing but destruction.  Grima had vowed once that he would protect this girl, that he would protect Lucina. Perhaps, perhaps he still could.  The world was a place that could very well lead to her harm, Frederick wouldn't be able to protect her forever, the knight would grow old and weaken with age, as he supposed Lucina would, yet he  _ felt _ perhaps his place was better watching over and guarding Chrom and his bloodline, those that were honorable at any rate.

 

He was patiently waiting for the young one to calm, keeping his breathing necessarily calm.  The little girl tilted back after a while, Grima’s hold instinctively slacking, "Wobin, pwease pway wid us!" Little Lucina begged, and it hurt to have to refuse her,

"Perhaps another time." He said tiredly, "The sun waits for no one, and you will have to rest soon." He told her.  Little Lucina looked crestfallen but she then looked determined,

"Den we id heping Mummy and Auntie Wissa!" She declared, "To gets Wobin awl bedder!"

Grima chuckled softly, little Lucina was a breath of fresh air he missed.  It hurt him to think of just how much damage had been done to the future version of that child.  He couldn't stop the small girl running off, his energy much too drained to do all that much. He struggled to get up once more.  Though he could still feel the faintest echoes of a bygone era.

 

~*~

 

"How are you feeling Robin?" Chrom asked him for not the first time in that hour.  Grima wanted to move, to get up and walk around as soon as possible, but those damn worms-

"I'm fine." He hissed through clenched teeth as Lissa got to work healing him.  They had found the injury and had to re cut the wound open to pull out an arrow head.  Naturally they had to heal the wound slowly and keep it clean, and Lissa was doing what she could to heal it but it was still a lengthy process.  Grima couldn't see why they fussed over him so. He was supposed to be their enemy after all.

 

Yet they healed him.  It could not be a more convoluted notion.  It couldn't be a more revolting one either.  Yet Grima found himself allowing them to heal him.

 

What on earth was he thinking?!  He was supposed to be killing these worms and yet...yet they cared for him.  Lissa healed him with the same degree of care that she did the rest of the Shepherds.  She tended to his wounds to the utmost best of her abilities.

 

Add to that Grima was letting her do it.  How the times had changed beyond his comprehension.

 

~*~

 

The breeze woke him from his slumber, crimson eyes blinked owlishly at the sudden influx of light as he struggled to maintain his grip on what was reality and what was the remnants of a truly terrifying nightmare the likes of which Grima had struggled through too many times before.  "Robin." He flinched from the voice but firm gentle hands held him in place, as if trying to...ground him? "Robin." He struggled to process what was going on, several seconds passed and it felt like an eternity.

 

His eyes adjusted, and picked out Maribelle with a worried expression on her face, Lissa not too far behind her.  He wasn't aware of why they should be  _ here _ when there surely were others who needed them more than he.  Perhaps this wasn't reality and he'd really lost it. He was exhausted, though he knew that shouldn't be the case.

 

"Robin."

 

He blinked, eyes seeking out the intent of the healer who at this point had not removed her hands from his shoulders.  He sighed, "I heard the first time-" his voice was weak, too weak but it seemed to convey the point well enough,

"Be that as it may, it would do you well to at least show a degree of response, lest we end up having to fear the worst."

He felt his head drop slightly.  He needed…

 

He actually didn't know what he needed.  Or indeed what he wanted…

 

No that wasn't true.  There was something he wanted.

 

He wanted the nightmares to stop.  He wanted the dreams where he turned his fangs on Forneus to stop, for the pain to leave him.  He wanted the screams to stop. He'd not realised he was getting upset again until he was lifted up by the two healers and braced between them.  He only felt a dull ache as his vision swam.


	7. For Those Who Try...

Had he the wisdom to know how fate would go, Grima would have scorned the idea that he could be "tamed" as such.  He always felt that he would never allow himself to be under the power of another, human or dragon as neither seemed like a fair option to him.

 

He had no reason to think it would be like this- though perhaps it was a farce to think he would be allowed to stay as Robin, given that the secret was both out in the open and the Shepherds knew who he truly was.  There was nothing to hide behind anymore.

 

So why did he cling to the faintest of hope that things could be okay- that he wouldn't be alone like he always was?  Why was he willing to stay?

 

~*~

 

The Shepherds won the tournament.  Naturally as Grima had prepared them for it as best he could.  'Marth' lost to Chrom and withdrew before anyone could see 'him'.  Not that Grima cared too much. The details did not matter. What did was the gods' awful party he was pulled into.

 

He supposed drinking was to be a thing among certain males of the Shepherds, namely that idiot Vaike who wanted a drinking game with him.  Grima had no interest in the disgusting taste of "ale" and held no desire to partake in such a grotesque display as they so demanded. He glowered at them and said, "One glass of wine if you have, otherwise-"

"Aww come on Robin!" Vaike laughed loudly, "Live a little ya egghead!"

"No." Grima said flatly refusing him.  Of course the buffoon didn't take that for an answer,

"Oh I see." Vaike said with a disgusting gleam in his eyes, "You're too chicken to do it!"

"Let me remind you whom is responsible for your training.  I will make you regret being born, worm." Grima shot at him and there was a beat of silence,

"Tsh, yeah right!" Vaike laughed loudly, "I'd say ya too much of a chicken to-"

"I do not make promises I cannot keep." Grima said flatly, "I will make you taste hell if you so desire."

"Alright that's enough you two!" Chrom stepped in, a shame that as Grima had wanted to make a little hell, but he was barely caring about it.

"Chicken!" Vaike said making ridiculous noises,

"Stop antagonizing him!" Lissa yelled at Vaike to the shock of them all, "Geez Vaike you're such a jerk sometimes!"

"Eh, fine, but I still could take 'im on in a drinking contest no sweat."

Grima raised an eyebrow, "Really?  Then how about we see how many shots of ninety poof Feroxi vodka you can handle."  There was silence at his words,

"Boy, that is insanity." Basilio spoke up at last, "Ha, ha, ha!  Oh I like you! I hope  _ you _ can hold your liquor."

Grima held Vaike's eye, "Well?" Grima asked him, and Vaike being the idiot that he was laughed and called it an easy victory.  Grima smirked. This promised to be entertaining, he couldn't wait to see how poorly the man would end up doing.

 

Of course the Khans were watching.

 

Five shots later and Grima wasn't even tipsy- though the drink of choice was an insidious one.  He laughed as Vaike choked on his first shot and bowed out after the fourth. Grima decided to rub salt in the wound a little as he drank two more shots to Vaike's horror.  A grand total of seven, which had Basilio laughing, "Oh come on boy there's no way anyone could drink  _ that _ much and not be tipsy!"

Grima however shrugged in response, "As I said, I'm not even the slightest bit inebriated." He said boredly, to a whistle from Flavia,

"Well I guess that you've been shown up Oaf." She laughed.

 

~*~

 

He lay down in bed, ears hearing a gentle breeze pass through the window.  Recovery was slow, but he didn't care. Grima's closed eyes didn't want to open and he sighed as the sound of footsteps came close.  It the sound of children chittering like little birds that made him force his crimson eyes to open, though he couldn't keep them open for long.

 

"Wobin…" The sweet voice of the little Lucina made him start as she was closer than he realised, "Wobin id time to wake up.  We bringed somefing to ates."

 

A low chuckle escaped him, "Really?" He said as he rolled onto his side facing the delicious sound of her sweet voice.  His eyes opened once more to see Lucina with Owain and Cynthia. He also spotted the younger version of Gerome. He was surprised by the thoughtful gesture.

"Uhuh." The small girl said as her friends all looked at him with curious eyes,

"Can we has a stowy pwease, Wobin?" Little Cynthia’s expression was too cute for him to deny her, though it was compounded by Owain and Gerome,

"Wobin needs food first!" Lucina cried,

He chuckled, "How about I tell one after we eat?" Grima suggested and the four children beamed at him happily.

 

~*~

 

"I can't believe you demolished Vaike like that!" Stahl said with a yell, "Oh boy is that going to be the talk of the week!"

"Fascinating.  Perhaps we could merit a new study on your alcohol tolerance-"

"Shit that was riot!" Sully howled with laughter, "Too bad Vaike threw up afterwards!"

Grima huffed softly as they all were in awe of their tactician.  Stupid worms really needed to get a reality check…

"We need to be ready to march come the morning." He said flatly, "The Exalt will be most anxious to hear about our mission."

A collective sigh was heard.  Grima had a point however.

 

He walked into the room assigned to him.  He pulled his coat off and set it on a chair.  He stretched and snapped his fingers casting light with fire magic which lit the candles in the room.

 

_ How foolish they all are...though I suppose they are tolerable...for mere worms… _

 

He sat on the bed and kicked off his boots, standing Grima removed his belts and felt his clothing fall.  Arms reached down and removed the shirt, leaving him in his small clothes. He snapped his fingers and the candles extinguished as he shifted into the bed, the alcohol made him drowsy and he nodded off to sleep.

 

~*~

 

The gradual process of eating wasn't as bad as it might have been, though Grima could have done without the sweets.  Still he supposed it could be worse. It was kind of the children to make such a thoughtful gesture as this. He got them to settle down and as promised told them a story.

 

He had decided on a simple moral, far better for them to learn about the mistakes of the past that way.  Grima chose to keep the story deceptively simple.

 

"Once upon a time, there was a noble king who ruled the land justly and kindly." Grima began to the awe of the children.

 

~*~

 

It was hard to say what was worse.  That the Exalt was unhappy or that Grima was right about his prediction.  Gangrel was the biggest fool Grima had ever encountered, that much was clear.  He knew that Chrom would be goaded into drawing iron to protect his sister because she was too stupid to protect herself.  He knew that Gangrel would declare war and knew it would be too easy to put the soldiers down. It was a joke at how stupid Gangrel was at this point.

 

Yet the Fell Dragon had to admit it was a nice distraction.

 

Better still he got to flex his tactical muscle, which was nice.  He could have done without the near death stunts from Chrom though.  Especially trying to reach Ricken and Maribelle...and that was when Grima noticed it.

 

Chrom might have tried to hide it but the fact  _ he _ was the one who wanted to specifically get to Maribelle…

 

Grima felt a smirk.  Ah, humans. What interesting creatures they were.  He could only guess that the feeling was mutual when he heard Maribelle yell at Chrom for his rashness, only for Grima to weigh in and simply state, "It wasn't an inconvenience.  After all I was there to watch his back since I half expected something reckless."

The flush of red on Chrom's face made Grima chuckle.  He decided to have Maribelle stay a little closer to Chrom after that.

 

If only to irk Sumia all the more.  Her anger was adorable to watch and Grima wanted to see how it would play out.  His sadism was a bit of a problem, it seemed. Still he could see how dense Chrom was as well and that's what made it so entertaining to watch.

 

However there were more pressing issues now.

 

~*~

 

Grima found himself unable to sleep as a sense of unease ate at his mind.  The castle was quiet and for that, he was grateful. He sighed as he walked along one of the many corridors.

 

Gangrel's words had a grain of truth to them after all.

 

He felt a fist form unbidden.

 

How many times had Grima been told about the last war?  His current form born just after it had ended, too late to see it, but not late enough to know the side effects for the past fifteen years.  Until he decided to leave the Grimleal's influence.

 

He stopped as he spotted Chrom standing out a courtyard and against all sense made his way down to see why the Prince was so off kilter.

 

~*~

 

It wasn't a question of why, but rather what as Grima discovered.  Chrom said he was "Dueling with unpleasant thoughts" and Grima supposed that was one way of putting it.  Though for him it was what Chrom said afterwards that raised a flag.

 

To hear about the previous Exalt from Validar's sweet poisonous whispers was one thing, to hear the very Prince and heir say that  _ he _ did not agree with his father's methods and hated how Ylisse had suffered because of it...was an entirely different thing again.

 

Grima heard the closest he'd ever heard to despair...and he found it wasn't as enjoyable as he thought it should have been.  He wasn't actually sure why that was.

 

Of course Chrom had made his mind up about killing Gangrel if the need arose, and admitted he didn't want it to be an order from his Exalt.  Which intrigued Grima.

 

Of course, before he could weigh in on the matter "Marth" showed up and said that the Exalt's life was in danger.  It wasn't too much of a stretch for Grima but it did confuse him as to why there would be an assassination attempt at all.  Something wasn't right…

 

Yet he didn't have the time needed to dwell on it, as "Marth" deflected the strike of a blade meant for Chrom.  Only to be taken aback when the second one broke cover and the mask to be split in twain.

 

Grima might have been forgiven, therefore for admitting  _ she _ was a beauty.  It wasn't her physical appearance that did it for him, though he had to admit she did look beautiful- for a human.  What really grabbed his attention was her wit.

 

She certainly was quick, and he liked it.  A shame she wasn't actually a member of the Shepherds where he could further his observations of her.  A true shame. He would have loved to get to know her.


	8. Bravery in All Forms

With the warning Grima was able to rapidly get the Shepherds into action- at least the ones who were actually up and about at that hour which was lucky enough for him at least.  He was surprised to see Maribelle of all people moving among them healing everyone that she could reach until he told her to specifically stay with Chrom since the latter was acting reckless again.  Something Grima had to admire about the Prince.

 

It was a good choice and allowed Grima to focus his attention on "Marth" for a while longer.  Yet he had no concrete answers from her as assassins made him shift to taking them out. He wasn't sure who sent them but he was most certain he would kill them all.  That was his plan at any rate.

 

Of course once that task was done Grima was less than amused by what followed.

 

Useless whittling that did nothing but create a problem across the board.

 

He guessed a traitor was in cohorts with Gangrel it was the only answer that he had, and he wasn't ignored, though it was what he said next that was to cause an uprising- from Frederick at least.  He said that only a person close enough to the Exalt- not him obviously- could have leaked information about the guards' shift roster. Though he didn't have to say who as the guilty party always had a habit of not showing themselves right away.  He ignored the Taguel that had been standing in the room until her off handed comment about humans.

 

A shame Grima was feeling particularly vicious, "And you think yourself better?" He demanded, "Your kind are no different from humans." He said sharply, "The only supposed semblance of peace is because you have a stone to contain your powers, without it, you would quickly succumb to your own power- no better than the beast you transform into.  All creatures on the earth are the same, some just so happen to be more destructive than others."

Silence followed his words.  He knew he was right after all.

 

~*~

 

He was woken to the sound of a plate being set down on a table.  Crimson eyes blinked blearily as he tried to adjust to the light.  A maid went about moving in the room, opening the windows to let fresh air in.

 

Was it really that time of the day already?

 

He remembered telling the children a story about king, noble and kind to his people- a king who was deceived by an advisor who desired power as the man whispered honeyed poison.  As the story progressed the king began to lose sight of who he was, slowly being poisoned by the advisor until he was unrecognisable.

 

The king was only reminded who he truly was by a trusted knight who risked everything to save him, only for the king to die a slow and painful death as the advisor sort to take the king’s throne.

 

Grima of course had not finished the tale- though he knew that likely the young ones would return to hear more.

 

He knew as the maid went about the tasks she was supposed to that likely Maribelle or Lissa would be arriving soon.  He sighed as he felt the need to move again. He found it amusing that he'd fallen asleep like he had, though it had been later in the day when the children had come…

 

~*~

 

The journey to the eastern palace was quiet, as Grima walked on lost in his own thoughts.  Emmeryn had been less than pleased to hear what he said, even if there was truth to his words that none could deny.  Grima was never one to lie to _anyone_ , least of all any humans who dared to say that they were civilized.  To him they _were_ all the same.  Chrom had walked beside him the entire journey thus far and to Grima's relief simply kept the conversation on tactics, though it had been a little too quiet and he motioned at Chrom to stop, a halt that had Frederick frowning, "There's likely an ambush up ahead." Grima said simply, and everyone except the Taguel stared at him,

"I smell wyverns." The woman, Panne spoke at last,

"I'd say that the Plegians are behind this." Grima said at last, "Though that means-"

"Fine!" Chrom groaned, "We get it.  What's the plan?"

Grima smirked, "I'm glad you asked Chrom." He said a dagger dancing around his palm, "Because there is a traitor in our midst, who has been giving himself away, at least to me." Grima said boredly and he spun on his heal and the knife flew through the air and hit a man in the dead centre of his chest.

 

At first Frederick looked like he wanted to kill Grima but the fell dragon had not lowered his hand, the blade was surrounded by intense dark magic and was almost close enough to stab through the cowardly priest.  The man let out an amusing squawk and was cowering from the knife when Emmeryn tried to step in.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Grima said simply, and she froze, "Frankly I'm not surprised that he would betray you.  It's such a human thing to do. A pathetic worm like him clings to stronger one like a parasite, offering nothing of any real value." Everyone stared at him as he flexed his arm the knifepoint close to the coward's throat, "In truth, you fool, Gangrel will have you killed because you're nothing more than a worm to him.  Doubtless now you've shown your true colours as a traitor, I wouldn't let you live either." Grima said calmly, "Especially since that would be violating the conditions of repaying my debt to these humans." His hand flexed slightly, and he snapped his fingers. The sound of blade piercing flesh and a scream of pain as the man fell were the only sounds that were heard.  He made a motion with his hand and the knife flew towards him, landing squarely in his palm. He noticed Frederick looked white as a sheet, as if he'd seen a ghost.

"How…"

"Look lively." Grima said calmly pointing to the skies, "Wyverns are coming."

 

~*~

 

Grima sighed and pulled himself up out of the bed, his eyes looking around the room trying to figure out what had happened, though he knew what had.  He made his way to the door and paused, having heard voices.

 

"Do you really think he'd do that?" Chrom asked, and to Grima's dread the spawn of Naga spoke,

"I can't say.  All I know is Naga told me she didn't understand what to do.  Though she was adamant about leaving him to make up his own mind- she said he carries very deep scars, scars the likes of which he won't recover from on his own without some help." Grima froze, "She had hated having to seal anyone away and it was always a last resort...even making me slumber in her desperation to save my sanity."

Grima looked down.  So they knew then? He heard Chrom sigh,

"So not even Naga knows how to even begin helping Robin...I can't say I'm surprised."

The Naga spawn sighed, "His name is Grima."

Chrom let out a derisive snort, "You say that like you actually know who he is.  Personally I prefer to call him _Robin_ since that is what he chose-"

"And that is not what he meant to be called." The Naga spawn said sharply, "He is _Grima_.  The Fell Dragon."

Grima felt a fist form and he pulled away from the door, not wanting to hear another word of the conversation.  How naïve did Chrom have to be at this point to…?

 

He drew in a shaky breath.  The Naga spawn was, he supposed right about one thing.

 

He was Grima.

 

That was indisputable fact.  No matter what was said and done, he _was_ the Fell Dragon Grima.  That was his very being. It was who he was without question.  Chrom should have known that and yet…

 

 _"Personally I prefer to call him_ Robin _since that is what he chose-"_

 

Grima felt his eyes begin to water.

 

What had he done to earn the human's loyalty?

 

Grima bit his lip and felt a tear fall.  He wasn't actually sure anymore what he wanted.  His vision now of no use he hastily tried to brush the tears away.  Yet the tears kept on falling.

 

For so long, all he ever wanted was a friend- or someone to care about the way Forneus had until the man came to hate Grima's very existence once the naïve Fell Dragon had shown his true power.  It was a feeling he'd not known for so long until the woman who bore this incarnation of him…

 

A sob broke out unbidden and Grima kept trying his best to wipe away the tears since it wouldn't look good if he was crying again.  He nearly jolted in shock when he was pulled into a warm embrace, but the familiar smell of _Chrom_ had Grima lower his head and instinctively press his face so that he could hear Chrom's heartbeat.  Helplessly he lost control of his emotions again, yet for some unfathomable reason, Chrom didn't seem to mind.  A gentle hand stroked Grima’s head as the Fell Dragon wept.

 

~*~

 

As he thought they had to fight their way through a Plegian ambush.  Grima had tried to warn the Exalt against heading back to the capital.  She had said it was for good reason and handed Chrom the Fire Emblem.

 

For the first time in his own existence Grima _felt_ physically ill.

 

He was reduced to watching Emmeryn leave with her Pegasus knight guard and he felt sick.

 

She had been the one human who thus far had not shown any anger, just kindness.  Grima knew that Chrom said she was one of the most peaceful humans…

 

He wrung his hands anxiously.  It was out of his hands and Chrom had been acting weird since then.  Not to mention Lissa…

 

He could not think of a more awful experience to have to go through.  This was very much level with having to kill the woman that bore him…

 

The trip to Regna Ferox was almost silent, the Shepherds' morale dropping to an all time low.  Grima tried to keep the hope alive but he knew that it was nigh impossible. What other ambushes could the Exalt have got into that he'd not accounted for?  How many ways could the traitor have compromised the Exalt's safety? How…?

 

Grima was pacing the room as Lissa kept trying to get Chrom to talk, though Grima knew partly how Chrom must have been feeling.  He only stopped when Sumia drew back her fist and punched Chrom in the face. Yet not even that was enough to break Grima from his anxious thoughts.  It wasn't until he saw Lissa faint that he broke into action, catching her before she hit the ground and hurt herself.

 

He looked at Basilio, Flavia and Chrom and swore he would bring them victory.

 

It was the first time that Grima had been working on trying to actually save a life.  Yet Grima had a horrible feeling he couldn't shake. He knew…

 

He just _knew_ that Emmeryn was going to die.


	9. Journeys and Stories

Time seemed to stand still.  Grima had promised Chrom he would get the Exalt back, but in his heart of hearts the Fell Dragon _knew_ she was going to die.  How he was aware of that Grima did not know, but he saw the death mark on her and _knew_ that it was inevitable that she would be either be killed or kill herself- both a very daunting prospect to say the least as he had little power to stop one and the other was incomprehensible to him as he knew that she had little reason to do that to herself.

 

He'd left Lissa to recover with Lon'qu guarding her, as the Princess was at risk as well- a risk Grima didn’t want her to be in, but a risk all the same.  Chrom had insisted on it after what happened with Emmeryn, and Grima had readily agreed with the Prince on the matter to the surprise of all present- everyone had expected Grima to at least have some reservations, but apparently his lack thereof did make things tense for the moment.

 

Besides Frederick couldn't afford to be run ragged with two charges to protect- Grima doubting that Chrom and Lissa would be willing to be cooped up for any length of time.  No matter how loyal Frederick was either. Though the knight loathed it Grima pointed out that sometimes people needed help.

 

Frederick had stared at Grima for a full moment, and the Fell Dragon shook his head, "It's not because you're weak, understand?" Grima said firmly, "Nor because Lissa is." He added, arms resting across his chest, "No human should ever have to fight their battles alone, least of all you.  We need you at your strongest, and that means keeping an eye on one of them- not both. Lon’qu is capable and we can trust him to protect Lissa. I will not hear another word on the matter because I do not want to be dealing with either complaining about the other and not having their own space."

 

The stance that he took was more than enough to make it clear how he felt, and Grima was well aware that his choice may not have been the wisest.  Yet he was certain that it was the preferred course of action- to him at any rate. The added thing was that no one would complain to him about it and frankly that was all he needed.

 

~*~

 

It was almost a full month since Grima had been sick, and while his body recovered he spent his time half focusing on what he felt he needed to do.  It was difficult not to hope things could go back to the way they were. Hells, the Naga spawn had perhaps finally understood why he’d not wanted to be near her in the first instance- though she was still too close for his comfort at least she wasn’t actually near him that much.

 

The morning was brisk and a cooling breeze blew through him, though Grima didn’t particularly care about that as his mind was elsewhere.  There was one place where he felt he _should_ be, a place that just so happened to be warm as the sun gave it a direct hit and he had an appointment of sorts that he was overdue for.

 

Hidden in his coat was a roll of bread he’d managed to take from the mess hall without being noticed.  It was for a very special friend, one that had- oddly enough- been a most welcome companion though all of his time in Ylisse.  He came to the spot and carefully sat down. It was the kind of day where the people in Ylisstol beyond would be scuttling about on their own tasks enjoying the harvest festival to come.  Grima however, had a more important reason to be in the particular courtyard where he was- aside from sunning himself of course.

 

It was a small garden that sheltered a very bold robin.  A bird that Grima swore was the exact same one he’d seen when he first joined the Shepherds nearly three years before that seemed to hang around him like a familiar would their own mage- Henry had a crow that stayed with him at all times and Grima knew that the bird was a familiar, though usually familiars were the incarnation of something precious to the mage that they had lost and as far as Grima was aware, he’d not lost anything that could become a familiar…

 

A small sigh escaped him as he started to break the bread into small pieces that the robin would be able to eat.

 

It was almost too much to expect the bird to be there- but sure enough there was the tell tale sound of chirping.  To Grima’s immense surprise the robin hopped on the ground before him tilting its head this way and that. It gave him a reproachful expression as if telling him off for the last few months, though when he held out a hand with some bread in it, the bird hopped on up and proceeded to peck at the bread.  Grima sighed, “I owe you an apology huh?” He said to it and it looked at him, with an intelligence beyond that of a normal bird it seemed.

 

For a moment neither Dragon nor bird moved.  It pecked at another piece of bread and he snorted softly, “Figures.  You miss the bread more than me. Heh, well fine, I guess we are in agreeance.”

 

The robin hopped delicately on his hand as Grima continued to observe it.  It chirped in response and Grima watched as it flew off and he blinked. It had flown to a spot in the tree that Grima had not noticed at first but to his surprise he heard more chirping and he couldn’t help but smile softly as the sounds of tiny baby robins reached his ears.

“Oh, so that was why.” He mused softly to himself.  He put down some more of the bread and the robin flew back chirping at him.  It seemed pleased as it pecked up more. Grima sighed and put down the last piece of the bread he’d had left.  He felt sleepy and for a moment at least he allowed himself to relax a little.

 

It would be too much of a coincidence if the bird were a familiar.  Still he doubted that was the case. The human woman that bore him wasn’t coming back- no matter how he might have regret letting the Grimleal influence him into killing her.

 

~*~

 

_"He's either a genius or a fool!  Ha, ha, ha! Hold onto your helms Ylisseans, we've an Exalt to save!"_

 

Grima had spent the entire day locked up in his room going over every tactical manual he could get his hands on, trying to work out all kinds of plans to save the Exalt, some more in line with his natural line of thought than others.  All of the blasted plans hinged on the fact that there would be risen in play. Because he _knew_ that was a possibility.  It was something he'd have done and… something he was considering to do even now.

 

He sighed as he kept on thinking through how best to save the Exalt.

 

He knew that the Grimleal would be using risen- that was a given.  Validar knew how the risen were made after all and it was more than likely anyone with significant Grimleal ties would know that as well.  Grima wanted to curse the rotten luck, this would be cutting so very close and yet…

 

He nearly drew his tome when his shoulder was touched, "Whoa, Robin…" Chrom spoke up and Grima sighed,

"Sorry, I thought it was someone else." He said to Chrom, "A force of habit, I guess."

It was hard to read the Prince's expression for a moment and Grima sighed heavily.  This mission was driving him to distraction it seemed. Chrom sighed, “Still, what is it you require- this is hardly a social call.” Grima said folding his arms slightly,

Chrom seemed to frown before speaking, "An Anna came by and asked if we had need of anything, I was wondering if you'd mind advising us what we should get from her."

Grima sighed inwardly, "Very well.  I'll see if she's got what we need." He said unamused.

"Thanks Robin." Chrom smiled as if a weight was finally off his shoulders.  Grima almost felt like retracting the statement but he was in a charitable mood.  Though he could have done without having to deal with a merchant like Anna, he supposed it was fine to assist Chrom.

 

~*~

 

The courtyard was about one of the few places where anyone who knew Robin would think to check if they were looking for him.  Hardly surprising then when Chrom arrived just as the robin had flown from the tree and landed on Robin’s stomach as the fell dragon had fallen asleep in the grass.  He was surprised when the bird showed no sign of moving, but as he came over towards his tactician he noticed how tired Robin seemed. It was like he had the world on his shoulders of late.  Chrom sighed as the bird flew off to its tree once it was aware that there wasn't any food to be had. Chrom cleared his throat and said, "There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, Robin." A groan was the response and Chrom hid a small smile, "Though I will admit it is a good day to be out in the sun." A mumbled response that Chrom couldn't catch was his only answer.  Chrom bit back a sigh. It hurt to see Robin like this.

 

Chrom chose to sit alongside his friend, joints popping as he did so, which got a tensed reaction initially before Robin seemed to relax.  "Don't you have duties you're supposed to be worrying over?" Robin demanded after a moment's silence between them,

"Not particularly." Chrom replied and he saw the less than pleased expression on Robin's face, even without being able to see his expressive crimson orbs, Chrom could read Robin fairly well.

"You're lying." He said shortly and Chrom bit back a laugh.  Nothing seemed to get past Robin, though if what Tiki said was true…

"I am not." Chrom said secretly enjoying the moment a little, though he knew it was to at least get Robin to feel less isolated.  A low sigh escaped him,

"Chrom, in the three or so years I've come to know you," Robin began not moving from his spot, "You always avoid anything that requires sitting for any length of time."

' _Spoken like a true other half_ ,' Chrom thought, and he spoke, "I suppose, but on this occasion I don't really have anything to do, well aside from having my day off."

Robin gave a derisive snort, "Of course you do." He said arms moving as he forced himself up to face Chrom, crimson eye to blue, "And it has absolutely nothing to do with any pity anyone harbours." He spoke bitterly and Chrom sighed.  It was going to take a while to move forward it seemed.

"Robin…" Chrom's tone was firm and he saw Robin look down, as if trying to conceal how he felt.  Yet Chrom knew what he needed to say, to remind the man sitting beside him, "You are your own person, remember that." A pained expression crossed Robin's face for a moment before he met Chrom's gaze,

"Trust you to say something like that." He said quietly, "That paperwork isn't going to do itself either." He sighed before pulling himself to his feet and offering his hand out to Chrom, "There better not be a massive pile, you hear me?" Chrom felt a smile creep up on his face,

"Well...I won't say." He said and Robin rolled his eyes

"Insolent worm." He said with absolutely no malice.

Chrom laughed, "It was worth a shot.  Though there are a few things…" he heard Robin give a long suffering sigh,

"The things I do to repay debts." Robin grumbled.  It was good to at least partly have him back, Chrom decided.  If only to be the shoulder Robin could lean on. Chrom knew what Tiki had said about the past but Chrom felt it wasn't right to not give Robin the choice- besides helping him was all that could be done.

 

~*~

 

The journey into Plegia was an interesting one, as Grima had rarely left the castle he'd been 'raised' in.  It was small wonder then that he was looking at the desert with trepidation. At least his coat kept him surprisingly cool.  Though it must have been the hex that was placed on it. He wasn't in the mood for complaints and had found himself wanting to kill some worms just to take his frustrated edge off.  He sighed as Chrom somehow maintained a calmness about himself.

 

As luck would have it, they stopped at an oasis and Grima was quick to check if the water was drinkable.  Thankfully it was and the dragon was quick to gather some to boil- even if it was drinkable he wasn't taking any risks.  The rest of the Shepherds wised up to what he was doing and quickly made themselves useful to his surprise.

 

It was amid the usual chatter that Miriel approached him and actually asked why he was boiling the water.  The taciturn response was short, "To make it drinkable, without causing sickness."

"Fascinating…" Miriel said.

 

By the time camp had been set up Grima had boiled enough water to last at least three days but knew it likely wouldn't last as long given how unused to the climate the Shepherds were.  He would need to expansion hex their gear it seemed to cope with the desert. It was going to be a very long road ahead in more ways than one.


	10. The Dragon's Fear...

The paperwork took almost no real time for Grima- he had it down to a science.  He wondered why Chrom chose to keep trusting him in this way. Grima simply shook it off and focused on what it as he had to do.  As ever making sure that the Ylisseans were safe was his top priority, “You need more guards to the south west.” Grima said boredly “That is an area that seems to be having difficulties according to this report.  I take it this isn’t the first time of such attacks.” He said with a long suffering sigh. Chrom was well versed in most of Grima's tactics so really he almost wasn't needed. Yet even so, it was...nice to be somewhat needed.  Grima sighed, since when was he the sentimental one?

"Right, anything else we might have missed?" Asked Chrom and Grima checked the map of Ylisse for not the hundredth time.  Just because he couldn't see anything now didn't mean he'd safeguarded the future. He was about to answer when pain shot through his chest, the kind of pain he was well aware would be coming if he didn't take his dragon form soon.

 

Unlike Nowi, Nah and Tiki, Grima couldn't use a dragonstone in order to change his form.  He could simply will it and it would happen. The drawback was that if he _did_ change his form it he would attack the nearest thing in sight until he regained control over himself, which could potentially take far too long than what was safe, though he knew that the best he could do would be to consult the only two dark mages strong enough to perhaps concoct a hex powerful enough to at least keep the worst of it at bay until Grima figured out what to do and how best to work around the problem.

"Robin?" Chrom's concern made Grima smile sadly,

"I'll be fine." He assured Chrom, though he knew things wouldn't be fine until he had made the necessary preparations.  The Grimleal would be causing trouble if they were not already and Grima…

"Something tells me you're just saying that." Chrom said as his arms folded across his chest, "Do you need to rest a while?"

Grima shook his head, "No, Chrom I am fine." He said and Chrom sighed.  Grima knew that face that the Exalt was pulling. They were interrupted by Maribelle who had come in with an Anna who was as pale as a ghost.

"Something wrong?" Chrom asked as Grima took it as his cue to quietly slip away- the pain was going to get worse and he really didn't want to be in a position where he took his dragon form in the wrong place and caused unintentional harm to anyone who didn’t deserve it.  He hated the thought of harming anyone and the only way to ease the process meant seeing a certain someone he wasn't fond of- in any dose she was difficult to tolerate but he didn’t have much of a choice.

 

Tharja would be able to make the brew necessary to suppress his power long enough to keep him from changing form or indeed Henry might be able to create a hex then and there but...there was no telling if they would be willing to help him and the pain wasn't going to give him much in the way of indication of how much time there was before he became dangerous to be around against his will.

 

He was about halfway to his destination when he came across the _last_ being he wanted to be anywhere near- the Naga spawn.  Were he in less of a hurry he perhaps would have noticed her sooner but as it stood he supposed she had the element of surprise.

 

The two dragons stood toe to toe and Grima felt the deep stab of pain.  He was running out of time and the last thing he wanted was for a fight to erupt between him and the Naga spawn.

 

~*~

 

The Shepherds failed their mission.  The Exalt chose to die rather than let Gangrel have the Fire Emblem and Grima still couldn't believe what he had seen.  He thought he could stomach watching humans die but this…

 

The Exalt's death shook him in a way that he’d not expected.

 

He was quick to internalize it, becoming the rock for the grieving Shepherds and _trying_ to get Chrom to pull his head in.  A task that was easier said than done, especially when Grima was in a state of semi rage himself.  He didn't know how but he _somehow_ didn't end up killing the Plegian general and _somehow_ managed to keep Chrom from making a fool of himself- somehow Grima was able to contain his rage.

 

The atmosphere was not helped by one of  their newest recruits who wanted to play with him the moment that they got to Ferox because she was "too cold" and "a game's the best way to warm up".  Grima had pushed the overly energetic manakete to Gregor. The fell dragon wanting nothing more than silence.

 

Emmeryn was the one human that he'd felt worth at least considering her words.  She was a human that was virtuous and Grima found himself needing the time alone.

 

He didn't cry but gods he was close.

 

He shut himself in, trying to figure out how he could have changed things if he could have changed anything.

 

"Robin-"

Grima punched the wall with enough force to slit his hand open, the physical pain easier to deal with as it gave him the clarity he so desperately needed at that moment, rather than the emotional pain he was ill equipped to ever hope to deal with.  The injury looked far worse than it felt, but Grima didn’t care.

" **Robin**!" He felt Lissa grab his arm, "Why in gods' name-?!"

" _Leave me_." He said firmly,

"Robin…" Lissa was surprisingly gentle with his hand, "Please don't do that to yourself." She pleaded with him cradling her staff in one hand, she looked like she'd been most definitely crying.  Grima felt a stab of guilt but he managed to pull his hand away- not quickly enough as she saw the mark on the back of said hand. For a moment neither spoke Lissa got a hold of his hand again and she quietly began the process of healing it.  Grima frowned as Chrom came in,

“Basilio wanted to talk with us.”

“About?” Grima said quickly regaining some semblance of control,

“We got word from our scouts.” Basilio said, “The Plegian army is in complete disarray.”

“...” Grima frowned, “Emmeryn…” He spoke softly and it was about the first time that he _realised_ what it was that he’d been feeling.  The anger at the Grimleal was pale to the anger he felt at Gangrel for what had happened.  Grima’s fury was perhaps not justified but despite everything, the Exalt had been kind to him- he owed her a debt and he couldn’t repay her now that her life had been cut so cruelly short like this.  Yet that wouldn’t stop the fell dragon from trying. “Gangrel will fall.” Grima said and Chrom looked at him shock evident in his features.

“Hold on-”

Grima looked to them the expression of a deep ancient wrath crossing his features, “I will not allow him another day on my watch.” Grima growled, and Chrom looked determined,

“Then what do we do, Robin?”

“We make damn certain that he doesn’t have any advantages.” Grima said simply, “Ending him is an unfortunate must.” Grima was already planning how to deal with Gangrel and he knew what had to be done.  He wouldn’t allow Chrom to have that blood on his hands- no Gangrel was _Grima’s_ to end.  That was all that there was to it.

 

~*~

 

Seconds passed like an eternity and it was clear that neither dragon was willing to move an inch.  Grima was looking for a way to avoid the Naga spawn and Tiki was working out what she should say to the Fell Dragon.  The tension grew for a moment until a certain, bubbly dark mage arrived on the scene, “Ooooooh…” the thin white haired young man said stopping in his tracks, “Are you two going to have a dragon fight?!  Oh please let me see it!!”

“No, Henry.” Grima said hitting his forehead with his palm in irritation, “Though I was hoping to run into you, should you have time to spare that is.”

Henry tilted his head momentarily disappointed until he suddenly grinned again, “Need a death curse?  Oh, oh, what about-”

Grima heaved a tense sigh, “No death curses, unless you desire to take out bandits.” He said as he kept a sharp eye on the Naga spawn,

“Aww, too bad I had a good one.” Henry laughed happily, Grima wondering how someone could be so chipper about killing other humans.  To each their own he supposed. Grima spoke,

“Know any containment hexes?” He asked, as the Naga spawn frowned and Henry looked surprised,

“Yeah, but-”

Grima decided to get to the point, “I will require it soon.” He said as calmly as he could, “Before things get out of hand.”

Comprehension dawned on Henry’s face, “Ooooooooooooooh...that kind of hex!  Tee hee! Okay I can definitely do that~!” Henry giggled and Grima gave a half nod before quickly passing the Naga spawn and Henry, though the dark mage was quick to fall into step behind him.  Grima hoped that he would manage to get a handle on on it properly. The last thing he needed was to cause more problems…

 

~*~

 

The trip back into Plegia was quiet, the Shepherds knowing to avoid Grima for the moment as he was working out what it was he needed to do to get to Gangrel...and kill the damn fool for what he'd done.  Though Grima had to wonder if there was something off…

 

A sigh escaped him as he glanced at his hand.  Too bad Lissa had stopped him when she did, though he words rung in his mind.

 

_"Please don't do that to yourself."_

 

He heaved a tired sigh.  This wasn't the time to think about it.  He had work to do. Work that he'd agreed to do, to at least repay his debt to the Exalt as he could.  Then he would work on his debt to the Prince and his sister, though Grima had to wonder when he actually came into debt with Emmeryn in the first place…

 

~*~

 

The quiet of his room was enough that Henry would be able to focus on the hex at hand.  To that end Grima had a couple of hours by his best guess to keep himself from more drastic measures.  He began the concentration heavy task of the bulk of the containment hex, he was plenty skilled enough to do that.  The woman who birthed him had done her best to teach him and he felt a different kind of painful stab, one he pushed aside as it was dangerous for him to lose focus now when he needed it most.

 

He was mid way through the task when Henry arrived.  The young sorcerer was smart enough to keep quiet and move to the parts that Grima wasn't able to do because the person whose power was being contained...was him.  As such it was a difficult task to do to one's self than another person and that was why Grima had sort out Henry in the first place. Sometimes a temporary solution was needed.

 

~*~

 

"Hey, Robin!" Grima heaved a sigh.  As per usual, it seemed that his peace was being shattered by the usual idiocy that was Ricken complaining about everything and anything.  Ever since Chrom had proposed to Maribelle after the war, Ricken had been pestering Grima especially. The kid barely managed to hide his displeasure at the situation- even more delicious was Sumia's breakdown- though the threats weren't worth listening to as they were pathetic really.  He'd wanted Sumia to bust out her weapon and fight for what she wanted. Alas it wasn't to be. No what was to be was constant whining from the pair as their 'one true love' fell in love with someone else and he took the fall out. He wondered how long it would take the idiot to realise he was supposed to be helping Miriel with an experiment...any second now.

 

Grima smirked.

 

The book he was reading had some merit, he'd read it before and had to wonder why Sumia would want to read such a blood fest.  He noticed however that things got particularly interesting as the story progressed. It seemed that the author was playing around with the tale, rather than getting to the meat of the story.  He _had_ finally found the romantic subplot that Sumia had been gushing over.  He rolled his eyes. What a joke. Did she really think that he would enjoy this rubbish?  A groan was all he gave before he continued to find out what happened next.

 

Only to be interrupted by a nervous looking Chrom.

 

“Robin...I need your help, please!”

 

Grima raised an eyebrow, “With?” and so began the task of planning Chrom’s wedding by ‘helping’ Chrom plan it.  In truth Grima had to handle seating arrangements and making sure that Chrom actually kept his damned head in order- nothing unusual there as Chrom was always requiring Grima’s help with some task or other...besides training, of course.

 

Nothing could have been so far removed from war than planning for a wedding.

 

Grima shook his head wanting to stab the nobles and be done with it- alas Chrom wouldn’t allow that course of action so Grima had to work around the task, and figuring out which noble went where so as to not cause petty squabbles to break out (he would have _loved_ to watch it happen but he wasn’t so stupid as to let it happen as Chrom did ask him to avoid it where possible).  Though Grima practically _begged_ Chrom to let him kill any noble as foolish enough to cause trouble, Chrom denied Grima from doing so.  It was annoying but he supposed it was just the way things were to be.

 

The wedding was about as dull to him as could be, but he supposed that at least Chrom was happy and he could mate with Maribelle in peace without idiots complaining about it.  Grima knew full well what was to come and snorted to himself. Humans were nothing if predictable sometimes.


	11. Shocks and Revelations

Grima was quaking slightly as he tried to make sure that his dragon form wasn’t causing any damage to the area.  Even with the containment hex, it seemed that he was in his dragon form...not a good start to what he was hoping to achieve.

 

He couldn’t see where Henry was though given his present predicament, it wasn’t all that surprising.  If only he’d realised how badly this was going to go.

 

Though a single thought stopped the Fell Dragon in his tracks.

 

Normally he wouldn’t have been sane enough to notice but as he carefully moved his head he became aware of a somewhat curious thing.  The room- his room- was entirely undamaged as far as he could tell at a glance. It was a bit difficult for him to completely ascertain that to be the case in dragon form, but he did his best to.

 

“Whoa, awsome~!” Henry chuckled from somewhere under Grima’s chin.  He tensed and moved with great care as not to do anything that might hurt or squish the frail human beneath him,

“You’re not hurt are you?” Grima somewhat demanded.  He was struggling to move his head and as Henry finally came into view, Grima could see that there wasn’t any clear signs of injury- and he felt relief at the thought that the human was unharmed, at least physically unharmed.

“Nah, but that was soooo awesome nya, ha, ha, ha, ha~”

Grima heaved a sigh, “I hardly think so.” He said firmly, “This is not a situation that I have any desire to repeat or have happen again.”

“Aww.” The disappointed tone made Grima wish he was in human form, just so that he could visibly show his disdain.

“I mean it.” Grima said his voice close to annoyed as he could possibly make it.

 

“What...is going on?” Chrom’s voice came from the door and Grima wished he could curl into the most tiny ball possible as not to face anyone in his current state, “Um...Robin?”

 

“Don’t ask.” Grima groaned, as he tucked his tail underneath his body, curling it under his chin, “Right now I am trying to concentrate.” He grumbled.  Going between forms was a pain and as far as he was concerned it was all parts annoying. The worst part was that they had to _see_ him like this.  Grima was almost sure he'd be able to shift back when he realised there was something missing...and for the life of him he couldn't figure it out just yet.  At least until he was fully in his human form and realised that he was most certainly, very naked. He was lucky there wasn't any females in the room at present.  He did not need a lecture from Maribelle about appropriate state of dress, despite the fact that he saw little need to wear clothing other than to keep himself warm.

"Robin?" Chrom's voice broke Grima’s train of thought as he was pulled on his clothing, small clothes underneath the outer layer.

"A minor miscalculation.  Nothing more." He said as he pulled his coat on over his clothing.

"That...didn't seem like a minor miscalculation." Chrom said as his arms folded, "Though that does beg the question-"

"I can't use a dragonstone like the Naga spawn if that is what you are asking." Grima replied flatly, "Unlike the others the price that has to be paid is usually my self control.  Thankfully it seems that this time there wasn't any destruction. That however cannot be said should this occur again."

Chrom frowned, "You can't use a dragonstone?"

Grima sighed heavily, "That is what I just said, Chrom." He tried to maintain his patience, though he knew it wasn't Chrom's fault, not many in Ylisse bothered to ask anything of that nature in his presence before, "I am capable of changing form at will, though not without side effects in my dragon form, usually at least." He said pinching the bridge of his nose, as he'd not wanted to think about what had transpired.  He was exhausted from the effort and felt his physical strength wane,

"ROBIN?!" Chrom cried as the Fell Dragon collapsed.

 

~*~

 

With all of the excitement, one could be forgiven if they expected Grima to have stayed.  Crimson eyes beheld the place that had somehow become...home...to the fell dragon. A home he wasn't sure he wanted to leave just yet.

 

For the first time since his arrival, Grima _felt_ a pang he couldn't describe in his chest at the thought of quietly leaving the Ylisseans in peace to see the world.

 

He was lingering and he knew it wasn't wise.

 

Yet the worst part of it all was that Grima found himself in his- well he shouldn't call it his courtyard, it wasn't.  Yet it was the one place in the whole Haildom of Ylisse where Grima liked to be. A place that made him feel...safe.

 

He stood there, and slowly his body began to lower against his will to look up at the stars, eventually ending up on his back.  He could hear the sounds of the night and while he listened calm infused his being.

 

Would it be so wrong to _want_ to stay?

 

All his existence, Grima had never once really thought too much about what he truly wanted.  He was content to follow whatever the humans around him wanted…

 

Those who were perhaps not the best examples of humans, but held some sway over him nonetheless.

 

A sigh escaped him as he focused on the night sky.  Vast as it was, Grima had never really taken much of an interest in it, yet for some reason he found himself doing so on this particular night.

 

He supposed it had a beauty to it.

 

Though he didn't believe that the stars were people, he supposed it wouldn't be fair to shoot Nowi down like that.  No perhaps it was better to let the young manakete keep believing that the stars were her treasured friends she had once known.  It would hurt her less in the long run.

 

~*~

 

"Robin." Chrom's voice bought Grima back to consciousness and he groaned in response,

"Yes?" The half spoken, half slurred response was to be expected as Grima had used more of his strength than normal to change back to his human state before his body had time to adjust.  It was still trying to respond at all, but he was about to discover a surprise.

 

" _FATHER_!" A feminine voice practically yelled jolting Grima to wakefulness just in time to see a young girl with a mop of dark coloured hair and somewhat strangely dark purple hued eyes before the girl slammed into _him_ and was crying in relief it seemed.  Crimson eyes flicked to Chrom, demanding an explanation, though he did make sure he got a good look at the girl.

 

She was wearing a coat like his and judging by her scent...she _was_ his offspring.  Though he'd not yet found a mate, let alone mated with anyone and that was scaring him.  How in his right mind did he think it was okay to mate with whomever this child's mother was in the first place?!

 

The girl's grip on him was surprisingly strong- for a mere human.  Seeing her crying though...it was his undoing he was sure as the same unease filled his being whenever the small Lucina herself cried.  Grima pat the girl's head. His eyes focusing on Chrom now, demanding an explanation once more. Chrom looked down and said rather bashfully, "This is Morgan.  Anna, uh, found her in Northern Ferox and brought her here." Grima gave Chrom a look that demanded he continue, "She uh, had this tome with her…" Chrom said and Grima froze.

 

There was no way that this child could have got _that_ tome from anyone other than himself or Validar, the later being a dead man and Grima having taken the tome from him at the same time he retrieved the Fire Emblem.  The air was still as Grima looked more closely at his offspring. He knew by her scent she was  _his_.  Which meant somewhere along the line he _had_ a mate.  He met Chrom's gaze and the Prince Exalt said the very last thing Grima expected to hear, "Lucina doesn't recognise her.  She didn't even know who Morgan was until she introduced herself to us and said you were her father and that was all she was able to remember."


	12. Unexpected and Uncomfortable Realisation

"You know there are better places to nap than on the ground, Robin." Grima jolted to wakefulness and saw Chrom grinning at him.  The fell dragon had not expected himself to have been still in Ylisse and he sighed, "Come on, you must be hungry, breakfast _is_ almost ready after all." Chrom said holding out his hand.  Grima grasped it and let Chrom pull him to his feet. For some reason Grima felt...lighter...as if being around the Ylisseans was the right thing to do.

 

~*~

 

"Morgan…" Grima hesitated as he took in the sight of his offspring sniveling away.  He still couldn't believe it. He had an offspring of his own. A dull ache in his chest.  Just _who_ had he mated with?!  Chrom had left the pair of them as had Henry, and it was perhaps a good thing that it was just Grima and his offspring.  The girl was scrubbing her eyes clean of tears as Grima tried to think of what to both say and ask her. He guessed it would be difficult as she was said to have some kind of amnesia.  Or perhaps she had her memories sealed away with some kind of magic, it was also possible. Even so…

 

He had an _offspring_ of his own.

 

The weight of that realisation was starting to sink in.

 

He'd somehow sired an offspring.

 

Grima was bemused by this, his mind struggling to come up with who he'd have gotten close enough with to feel _that_ comfortable to not only mate with them, but to _want_ to produce an offspring.

 

True, he'd often felt a little bitter that the other Shepherds had offspring of their own, and perhaps he'd subconsciously wished he could have that idyllic situation- a loving mate and their own offspring which they would work together as equals to raise to have a life far better than his own had been, one where his offspring wouldn't know the fear he had and be able to grow accepted for who they were and not shunned for who he was.  A dull ache settled through his chest. He'd sired an offspring.

 

~*~

 

Grima had two of the best years he'd ever had after Chrom had semi brought the fell dragon back to the mess hall with all of the Shepherds rambunctiously creating enough mirth that for the first time, Grima actually smiled at their antics.

 

" **Hey!  Robin!  Over here!** " Vaike yelled patting a seat near him.  Grima didn't know why, but there was a warm feeling in his chest when he looked at the gathered Shepherds and their smiles.  He might have been rough around the edges at times, but he supposed he could appreciate their quirks. The endearing humans that they were.

 

For the first time in his existence, Grima felt like he belonged somewhere.

 

~*~

 

The mess hall was almost as full as that day, the day wherein Grima finally found a place to call his home.  " **Oi!  Robin!** "

"Must you create noise of that level of volume at this time of the day?" Grima sighed as he guided Morgan to one of the many tables.  Vaike let out a boisterous laugh,

"Course Teach does!" He said making his way over, and Grima sighed inwardly.  It would be foolish to admit it, but in truth Grima found Vaike's antics a source of amusement, "Sides, word is that ya got yourself a kiddo of your own and everyone's in a tizzy.  Didn't know ya had it in ya to-"

"Father?" Morgan asked and she looked so fragile Grima couldn't help the gentle brush of his hand stroking his daughter's hair to calm her,

"This is Vaike, one of the more…loud mouthed of the Shepherds." Grima said with no real preamble.

"Oh!  Robin!" He tensed as soon there was a gathering of every single unmarried female Shepherd in the room.  Cherche having come over, "I heard rumours that there was a new addition." She said pointedly and Grima was beginning to wonder if this was the best time to ensure his offspring had proper nourishment,

"Aww, she's so cute!  Hi, Morgan, I'm Lissa and Chrom's sister."

"Say, Robin, do you know who Morgan's mother is?" Sumia asked and Grima felt the urge to lift his hood and hide his face rise.  He spoke more sharply than he intended,

"That is not a priority right now, what is, is seeing to Morgan's nourishment." He winced at how defensive he sounded, but he was right.  Morgan had taken to gripping his arm and trying to hide herself from the sheer number of females, not that Grima blamed her, the poor girl had quietly asked him if they could get something to eat when her stomach growled in protest earlier.  He did not expect what happened next,

" **Lunch is ready!** " Called Nah, and everyone raced to get their food.  Morgan meanwhile buried her face into his chest,

"Overwhelmed?" He asked softly and she nodded, "They mean well." He stroked her hair and was already too busy trying to keep his daughter calm to notice that he'd just made everyone question everything that they knew about him up to that point, "They're an excitable bunch."

 

~*~

 

If the looks had been anymore intense, Grima would have long since withered under the scrutiny of the gazes locked upon him.  He could hear every last whisper of speculation about who his offspring's dam was and he found each more implausible than the last.

 

He doubted he'd have the gall to mate with half of the candidates that were suggested, from Anna to Olivia to even _Sully_ , though Morgan's demeanour suggested a more noble upbring, so that ruled out few Shepherds Grima could, based on Morgan's hair and eyes rule out most of the unmarried female Shepherds in one massive swoop as well.  Maribelle was ruled out as she was Chrom's mate, and Grima wouldn't dream of mating with another's mate. That also would rule out Flavia- she was mated with Basilio. Funny how that one came about.

 

Grima heaved a sigh as he poked food around his plate, contemplating who could have been Morgan's dam when he suddenly dropped his fork with a particularly loud clatter as a thought entered his mind the likes of which he really, _really_ did not want to have at that moment.

 

"Father?" Morgan's voice spoke yet Grima was still frozen in place, looking more closely at his offspring.

 

Surely not…

 

No…

 

There was no way it was even possible…

 

Grima hastily picked his fork up, "It's nothing." Grima said doing his best to hide his growing unease.

 

Morgan tilted her head and Grima’s theory was more than cinched.  It was entering dangerous territory. Yet there was one thing that he needed to consider...if…

 

If Morgan's dam was who he thought…

 

Things had suddenly become _very_ complicated in a _very_ short space in time.

 

Not just because the Shepherds knew who he truly was but because Morgan's dam was one of them.  Especially considering the fact that Morgan had Aether and there was only _one_ female Shepherd who had Aether.

 

He couldn't eat.

 

Somehow just the realisation was enough to make his stomach go into knots.

 

There was only one way Morgan could have got Aether after all...if his offspring inherited it from her dam.  Which meant…

 

Grima quickly pushed the thought out of his mind as this was the last thing he needed right then.  No matter how badly he wanted to say something he knew it would be unwise.


	13. Dual Bloodlines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He knew how much Robin cared for them- even if he was occasionally grouchy at times. Yet through it all, Robin always leant them his ear to their problems, he always stepped in the way of blades meant for them. Robin was…
> 
>  
> 
> A lot kinder than he thought he was.

With Morgan sufficiently fed, Grima decided to shepherd her away from the mess hall and take his offspring to the training grounds to see where her weapon proficiencies were at.

 

For some reason, he did not realise that there would be an audience watching him as he did so.

 

Morgan was certainly able to handle almost any weapon that came her way.  Though he was concerned with her apparent aptitude for burning things with fire magic.  He took the tome from her before she could do anymore damage and her face fell briefly and Grima gently pulled her to his side.  He spoke, choosing his words carefully, "A small ball of fire would have sufficed," he said to his offspring, "the goal wasn't to destroy the training dummy after all, you didn't need to be at full strength."

Morgan pouted at him but her face fell after he explained what was required.  She certainly reminded him of a certain someone else, "Sorry Father…" Morgan's voice was quiet and Grima had not let her draw away,

"As fun as it is to throw balls of fire, we must always be aware of how much power we put into them.  The only time we should truly use our strength is at the moment in time when there is no other choice, something you'll find Chrom incapable of when it comes to training dummies." Grima smirked softly and Morgan looked up at him with a surprised expression,

"But you just said-"

Grima chuckled, "I did.  I was merely giving an example." He said and Morgan looked at him in awe, then she grinned brightly, "However, you should avoid being like Chrom, especially since he's the one most likely to break things." He gave his offspring a conspiratorial wink.  Seeing her brighten up he let her go and Morgan tilted her head,

"Really Father?" She asked curiously, he nodded,

"Yes, but I would caution against saying that to anyone else, it is supposed to be a secret after all."

She made a mime of sealing her mouth, locking it and throwing away the key, which was cute.  He of course moved on from the tomes to staves and they finally came to the last two types of weapons, dragonstones and beaststones.  He knew that if his offspring was like him and _was_ truly his she would likely become ill if she tried to channel her magic through a dragonstone- unless she was more in tune with the divine dragon then she could take on that form.  If of course his theory about her dam being who he initially thought was wrong.

 

They tried the beaststone first to rule out Panne- though Grima knew Morgan lacked the long rabbit ears he still wanted to be doubly sure.

 

As he suspected the stone didn't respond or resonate with Morgan's mana.  He sighed and swapped the beaststone for a dragonstone. He heard Ricken pipe up, "Hey, Robin, why're you-"

"Hush." He said firmly motioning for him to stand back,

"Father…?" Morgan looked up at him confused and Grima sighed,

"We need to see if you can make use of a dragonstone." He said calmly, ' _Perhaps you will be free to make use of it, maybe it won't do to you what it does to me.  Or your dam is exactly who I think she is...I can't think like that, it's not important…_ '

Morgan frowned but she looked focused.  Grima watched carefully as a sickly dark purple started to form and he _knew_ what was going to happen and his arms were quick to catch Morgan as the stone fell to her feet and she slumped forward, "Oh gods!  **Lissa!** " Ricken cried out as Grima quickly gathered his offspring in his arms.  He _knew_ it would come to this.

 

She was definitely _his_ offspring.  She wasn't the Naga spawn's, and her proficiency with the blade was unmistakable.  As he made his way to the medical wing of the castle, Ricken turned and upon realising that Grima was already moving Morgan, raced off to fetch someone- presumably Lissa.  Grima snorted. There was nothing that could be done for Morgan now.

 

His offspring needed nothing more than rest, any healing was unnecessary.  It would do nothing to help her, he knew. He caught her before she did any true damage to herself, being prepared for it, knowing it was likely.

 

He just lay her on one of the beds when she let out a low moan.  Carefully he brushed her hair off her face, "Daddy…" Morgan gripped his arm and Grima could _feel_ her fear,

"I'm here Morgan." He said calmly and her eyes focused on him, "You seem to have recovered a little." Morgan blinked owlishly at him as Grima pulled up a chair by the bed, "I feared that might happen." He sighed,

"Father…?"

Grima gently took her hand in his, "Dragonstones do the same thing to me too." He explained and Morgan's eyes widened, "Though it seems that the reaction for you is weaker.  I wouldn't do it again however." He said and he heard the rush of feet,

" _What happened?_ " Lissa spoke firmly and Grima sighed,

"There's nothing to be done.  It was little more than a negative mana reaction."

Lissa frowned, "Robin…" she sighed and came to the left of the bed, "How are you feeling Morgan?" Lissa asked.  Only for Morgan suddenly clutch her head and Grima to pull out the stave he had, knowing that he would need to use a spell Lissa likely knew well.  Pain relief. It wasn't something Grima was familiar with but he had a feeling something wasn't quite adding up.

 

~*~

 

That night it was decided that Morgan would have to stay in the medical wing for "observation".

 

Grima sighed as he was going about his own business when a loud cry broke him from his thoughts.  He knew by the sound that it was coming from the medical wing and ran towards it.

 

The sight was a smallish version of his dragon form wreaking havoc as it was curled into a ball blasting anyone that got too close, "Robin!" Chrom cried but Grima didn't hear him.  He knew by the way the small dragon moved, that she was afraid, Morgan was only defending herself after all.

 

"Morgan." He spoke gently, keeping calm.  He could see his offspring's nose quivering and he cast an expansion hex.  There wasn't time to think on the consequences of his actions, his pup was frightened and needed her _father_.  Grima felt his body shift and as he took on the full size of his form he could hear his pup's low cry as she detected the scent of her father.  A coo of a happy pup knowing that she was safe.

 

He curled around her and his pup calmed almost instantly.  He knew that this was on him. He really should have known she would have this happen to her and yet…

 

He felt that comforting Morgan was all he could do.

 

~*~

 

By the time morning had arrived, Chrom was still in a state of shock.  True if it wasn't for Robin, they would be in a huge mess right now, yet the fact that Morgan was able to turn into a dragon…

 

Chrom shook his head and came in to see how the pair were doing and he stepped into a cute scene- despite the fact it was one massive dragon with a relatively tiny one but it was sweet all the same.  Robin was curled up with Morgan sleeping alongside his head. She lacked the same horns that Robin's form had and her teeth seemed smaller as well.

 

It was then that Morgan chose to roll onto her back, jaws gaping open as she yawned and Chrom noticed a very...familiar Mark on her chest, right where her heart was.  He blinked and said, "Robin." It was soft as not to disturb the sleeping child. He saw one of the orbs move and he knew that Robin was looking at him, a low huff escaped him and Chrom saw Robin shift slightly,

" _Yes Chrom?_ " The voice was surprisingly soft but it was definitely Robin's,

"Morgan...she has the Mark of Naga." Chrom said softly.  He wondered if it was his imagination but he swore Robin had tensed, "It's on her chest." He said.  He'd heard all of the theories from the other Shepherds for the last three days since Morgan's arrival.  Yet seeing the Mark of Naga clearly on Morgan's chest in her dragon form, it didn't upset him as much as he thought.

 

He knew how much Robin cared for them- even if he was occasionally grouchy at times.  Yet through it all, Robin always leant them his ear to their problems, he always stepped in the way of blades meant for them.  Robin was…

 

A lot kinder than he thought he was.

 

~*~

 

Grima heard what Chrom said and wanted to let out a groan of frustration.  This wasn't the news he wanted to hear. It was bad enough that he theorized Morgan's dam was _Lucina_ let alone the evidence pointing _conclusively_ that was the case.  Grima sighed and came to a sudden realisation, "You're not angry?" He asked forgetting for the moment he had a sleeping child to worry about as his eyes focused on Chrom.

"Well I thought it might but-"

Grima grimaced, "But?" He demanded of Chrom,

"I think it's about time you both had some happiness." Chrom said simply,

"Why do I get the feeling that is a loaded answer?" Grima asked, Chrom chuckled,

"Well, I can't speak for her, but I suppose the two of you have an understanding few people have." He said and Grima felt Chrom's hand rest on his snout.  There was something about the gesture that made the Fell Dragon wonder absently if this was how humans truly were, if not turned corrupt. It certainly wasn't the reaction he was expecting from Chrom.  He had a feeling though, that it wasn't going to be so simple moving forward.


	14. When Children Play...

Grima spent the next hour grooming his pup, and Morgan protested profusely.  Of course if she just went back to her human form this would have been entirely unnecessary, but given the lack of change, Grima decided to get things on track, as it was something of an instinct for him.  Morgan whined under him as he had her under a wing which was applying enough force to keep her from moving while he cleaned her in the only way he really could in dragon form, " _Father…_ " she grumbled as she tried to worm her way out of his grasp,

"You chose to remain in this form." He reminded her sternly, "Therefore, this is your bath.  I will not have you neglecting your self care." He said between each pass of his tongue. Morgan whined again.  It was clear that she had lost this round, though she still squirmed,

"Father!  That tickles!  Stop it!" She started to laugh when he got to her belly, her tail thumping against the floor.  Grima decided to file that reaction away for a future time, and focused on what needed doing. Morgan butt her head against the underside of his jaw, and Grima turned to look at her,

"Yes?" He enquired of his pup,

"How do I change back?"

 

~*~

 

Lucina absently paced the hall outside the medical wing, listening to Morgan's protests and Robin's responses.  She dared to take a look at them the night before, and while she was scared seeing the Fell Dragon's form, she found herself unable to be truly afraid for long.  Perhaps it helped that Morgan was asleep nestled close to Robin, and that the aura his other self had wasn't the same with him.

 

It got Lucina thinking about the difference between the two Robins.

 

The Robin Lucina had grown up with was not the same as the Robin she'd come to know.

 

Seeing him retract so heavily into his shell had been a blow.  Yet with the arrival of Morgan, Lucina had to admit it was strange.  To see Robin with a child of his own was something she'd not ever thought of.  Though anyone with eyes could see how much Robin cared for the girl. Even Lucina's youngerself, if that counted for anything.

 

She opened the door and saw that Morgan still hadn't changed back into her human form.  Robin was talking to her and said something surprising, "You have to _want_ to return to human form." He said simply, "That's all that there is to it."

Lucina watched in surprise as Morgan straightened up as if to contradict his statement when a flash of light saw Morgan suddenly turn back to her human form arms folded across her chest, "Father!" She whined, "That's not…"

A low chuckle escaped Robin then, "It worked." He said simply, "Though you will need to get dressed." He stated.  Lucina noticed that Morgan was completely undressed and she nearly fainted when she saw the Mark of Naga on the girl's chest.

 

~*~

 

Grima had to wait patiently for Morgan to dress and once she had he told her to wait for him out of the room.  He shifted back and dressed himself and heard a commotion the likes of which worried him as it meant shenanigans were afoot, "Morgan." He spoke firmly a low growl in his throat as the young girl leapt from her position, having doubtless been pulling on Yarne's ears by the look of pain on the young Taguel's face.  He knew by the guilty expression on her face she _knew_ she was in trouble.  He didn't notice the rest of the Shepherds were watching as Morgan looked down with clear guilt on her face.

 

Grima heaved a sigh as Yarne took the moment to flee.  He looked at Morgan and said as calmly as he could manage, "Do _not_ do that to him _again_." A low growl was in his throat as Morgan let out a low whine, "I will not ask twice Morgan." He said firmly and she seemed sufficiently chastised.  He huffed softly knowing that it was up to him to teach the girl- well mostly. Her dam should have…

 

He shifted slightly and to his surprise Morgan half buried her face into his chest.  He supposed that for now he'd indulge her, she didn't need him growling at her when she heeded it the first time.

 

~*~

 

Lucina saw the exchange and she wasn't the only one, "Who knew Robin was so soft." Sully said from her spot at the mess hall table,

"Oh I wouldn't say that Sully." Sumia said calmly, "Morgan _did_ pull on Yarne's ears, though I didn't expect that growl."

Miriel hummed, "Fascinating…" she said, "It seems that despite the homo sapiens form Robin still retains a lot of draconic phenotypic features…"

"Miriel, could you please use more simple words for those of us at the table who are not filled in please?" Kjelle spoke up glaring at the Sage.

Lucina spoke, "Robin has the ability to change his form, between his dragon and human form." She drew in a deep breath, "And Manaketes tend to retain some of their draconic traits even while in human form."

"Exactly!" Nowi piped up, "Though I didn't realise Robin had so many."

Nah frowned, "I'm confused too, if Robin is a manakete-"

Tiki spoke up, "We don't know for certain if he is a manakete or not, he can't use a dragonstone." She said and Lucina frowned,

"Then what does that make him?" She also had to wonder what that made Morgan by extension and Tiki sighed,

"A class all his own." She said and Lucina had a feeling that answer was insufficient despite it being the only one that they had.

 

~*~

 

It was interesting as slowly things started to change the longer Grima remained with the Shepherds and grew inevitably closer to them, almost seeing them like a big dysfunctional family, though the bonds they shared did make him smile a little.

 

Things became especially interesting when Maribelle became pregnant.  For Grima it allowed him to indulge in some observation. He decided he'd stay well clear of a pregnant female unless she required him specifically- it saved the arguments and fighting for one and seemed like the safest idea- unless the other less intelligent worms caused problems he seemed to have to settle down as best he could.

 

He found that watching the changes was most interesting when Maribelle was heavily pregnant.  She was in a world of discomfort and he found himself unable to ignore it. Chrom was equally determined to do what he could to make things easier on her and Grima wondered why that was.  It was a question he didn't ask. He held his tongue guessing it was a human thing.

 

He wondered then, in the back of his mind what it would be like if he had a mate of his own, would he be like Chrom, doing what he could to help her or…?

 

It wasn't a simple answer.  Somehow, someday he would find his answer.  For now, however he would focus on helping Chrom and Maribelle, that was his duty after all.  He felt a small pang in the back of his mind as he wondered what it would take to have a mate of his own and perhaps by extension, their own offspring.

 

~*~

 

As Grima made sure that Morgan had some sustenance he noticed that there were more whispers than before  and he sighed. He and his pup were centre of the conversation and the whispers were mildly annoying to listen to, even as Grima did his best to ignore them.  He could tell it was weighing on Morgan's mind so he decided to do the next best thing, take his pup for an outing, perhaps it would help raise her spirits and give him a much needed break from all of the speculation.  If that were permissible, of course.

 

He made sure that Morgan was clean and was in the middle of reminding her to keep her face clean when he noticed an interesting discussion, mostly about manaketes.  He sighed, "Father!" Morgan whined as he proceeded to make use of a napkin to wipe Morgan's face, she pouted,

"Really Morgan, you need to keep yourself tidy at the very least." He said with a sigh. "The last thing I need is to hear Maribelle on my case about manners, especially your own."

There were a few gasps of surprise but Grima was looking at his naughty pup with a serious expression.  She pouted at him and a low growl sounded in his throat. Morgan took to scoffing the food down. He supposed it could be worse.

 

~*~

 

The slow movement of Grima and his pup through Ylisstol's main marketplace was mostly due to the crowds of people who were all busy.  He had to admit that Morgan really had a nose for trouble. He didn't know how many times he'd had to double back to find her looking at some kind of trinket or another.  Even some rather...strange looking things. A sigh escaped him as he noticed that the young girl clearly has similar tastes to her dam...yet there were a few things Grima noticed predictably aligned with him.

 

Morgan's love of fire for one.  She had a mastery over the element that made a phantom burn race across his skin whenever he used it himself.

 

A sigh escaped him.  One day he supposed he would have to explain to her why he avoided fire, but he felt it unneeded.

 

~*~

 

Morgan bounced on the balls of her feet excitedly as she took in the whole marketplace.  Her eyes looked around at all of the colours and she could be forgiven to have fallen behind her father, who would inevitably find her looking at everything and wishing she had more eyes to do so.  Though she knew the rules far too clearly as her father said no transforming out in the open- a rule Morgan didn't particularly like that much. She wasn't sure why he even had a rule like that but she supposed there was a fair reason.

 

She giggled softly as she came across a stall selling delicious toffee coated apples and she couldn't help staying near the intoxicating scent, her stomach growled and she sighed, it wasn't long before her father appeared, "Just this once." He said with a sigh and to her surprise got her one.

"Thanks Father~!" Morgan cheered happily as she ate the delicious food.  She saw a small smile and wished her father could be like that more often.  She knew that he could be so happy but perhaps her timing wasn't as good as she'd hoped.  Still, it had been difficult seeing her mother and having to say she didn't know who she was.  Morgan sighed contently. She figured that it would be a while until her parents got together and she knew it was perhaps better she didn't try to get them together.  Besides it was interesting to see how the love story played out. Morgan wasn't foolish as she might have acted. The plus was that maybe this time... _this time_ she'd be able to help her father shake off his despair once and for all.  Morgan tilted her head as she saw her father looking at a stall that sold books.  She giggled softly to herself. He never changed, he was always studying and…

 

Morgan found herself wondering if it was because of what happened to him in eons past.  She carefully chewed on the toffee apple and wondered how she could help him. She supposed she'd figure that out when she came to it, especially since he'd already managed to avoid the corruption from the Grimleal this time.


	15. Vows Fulfilled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grima felt his whole body quake as he pushed himself onwards. Shadow was where he left the wyvern and Grima collapsed over the saddle. His last conscious thought was that the ground sure was shrinking away, despite the fact that Grima wasn't in a position to urge the wyvern to leave. Blackness claimed him.

The outing was a nice distraction but it didn't come as a surprise that they had to head back to the castle.  Grima slowly moved along, watching Morgan as she bounced alongside him. He supposed it was only natural to be lost in his own thoughts as he was.  Yet Grima couldn't help it. He was a world away almost.

 

~*~

 

It was decided that Morgan would have the room across from Grima’s.  She was already asleep and it seemed a peaceful night was to come to pass.  Yet for Grima the night was not peaceful at all.

 

His dreams were as violent as ever, the phantom burning across his body making it impossible for him to cry out- he was frozen as the fire moved closer burning feathers and the scent of flesh being burned.

 

He felt like he couldn't breathe, smoke drawing away the air as he struggled to see through it, a scream dying in his chest as shapes moved towards him…

 

~*~

 

He woke only when his body harshly fell onto the floor, breath heaving in heavy gasps as Grima desperately drew in as much air into his lungs as he physically could.  His body trembling as he struggled to roll off of his back and get to his feet.

 

The dreams were becoming more of a problem and Grima knew that there was only one thing to be done.  He would need to go to the Dragon's Table...alone.

 

He knew that the ancient blood oath had been fulfilled in full, but it was clear that the humans assumed there was more yet for them to do.  A sigh escaped him as he tried to figure out how he was going to do what he planned. He had to make sure that the Shepherds were safe and…

 

~*~

 

The presence of Morgan at the main hall by herself looking dejected and chewing her bottom lip was enough to get Chrom's attention.  Robin had not ever been too far from the girl since her arrival and this was concerning. He came to sit across from the girl, who was more than likely his grandchild- a thought he didn't want to focus on, "Morning Morgan, have you seen Robin at all?" Chrom asked and the girl flinched.  Not a good sign, she was picking at the food on her plate and just when he thought she wouldn't say anything, she spoke,

"Father said he had to run an errand and he had to do it alone." Morgan said still picking at her plate, she sniffled and Chrom frowned,

"What kind of errand Morgan?" He asked gently.

 

~*~

 

The wyvern glided smoothly below him as Grima gripped the reins and allowed himself to lay flat along its back to allow the wind to rush over him like he was flying himself.  He was well attuned to the tiny movements of the creature, having flown in his own body before but not wanting to draw attention to himself. Each beat of the wings felt so familiar to him, as Grima allowed the wind to flow over his body, "It's almost time." He said softly.  He wondered how long he'd have before they realised where he was going. He pressed his forehead to the wyvern's neck as he recalled how afraid Morgan had looked when he told her he was leaving for a small while and that he wanted her to stay with the Shepherds, where she was safe.  His pup had protested even more than when he'd bathed her- yet this was something only he could do. He trusted Chrom to keep her safe.

 

The wind whipped his coat and Grima looked up from where his head was resting as the wyvern growled under him, "Steady now Shadow." He reached to stroke its neck, "We won't be too long, I promise." Grima urged the wyvern to keep moving.  From the pack at his side he pulled a short axe and looked carefully for any sign of the risen.

 

The ritual had to be stopped before harm could come to Ylisse, and Grima had a feeling he'd not have much time.

 

Shadow landed not too far from the Table and he snarled as risen appeared.  Grima frowned as the risen had not drawn their weapons. He took a step forward and they moved to clear the way.

 

Each step he took saw the risen part like a sea.  Grima may have killed Validar, but the risen would always recognise their true master.  Yet Grima felt uneasy. This was far too easy for his liking.

 

Grima stopped as he came within sight of where Validar had fallen.  He drew in the air and frowned, shaking it off he made his way forward.  If anyone thought to come, he would deal with them accordingly. The bodies of the dead had been left oddly enough and Grima came within a step of the altar, "Show yourself, worm." Grima spoke suddenly turning on his heal, "Do not think that you can hide from me." He said as the scent of multiple humans permeated the temple far more swiftly than he anticipated.  Grima felt his hand slowly grip the hilt of the Short Axe he was carrying it. At first there was stillness, but Grima could make the attack out easily. A flick of the wrist was all it took to send the thrown dagger off to the side, and Grima stanced up, axe held loosely in his right hand. His eyes scanned the chamber and he waited patiently.

 

The axe came up and slashed across the left on instinct.  It was nearly enough to cut down the masked assailant, if it were not for the sound of an arrow being knocked onto a bow.  " **Insolent worms**!" Grima roared as he focused on changing his form.  He heard the clatter of weaponry falling to the ground as his roar filled the chamber. " **You would do well to not cling to the shadows**!"

 

To his lack of surprise it was a group of Grimleal- or those that called themselves his servants, though he never had taken this form before them.  His body was curled into a slight ball, his back shielding his softer underside. Not that their weapons would harm him; it paid to be cautious after all and he couldn't afford to show anything resembling weakness.  They were spouting nonsense in Plegian- nonsense he chose to ignore entirely.

 

His job was made easier.  He opened his jaws and with a roar sent the fools flying for cover so that they wouldn't get in the way of him doing what needed to be done.  He then turned back to the altar. A stray wing propped him up as he bought his tail to the worn stone. The stone that represented the oath, that he would destroy now that the oath had been fulfilled.

 

His tail hit the stone and sure enough it was turned to dust from the impact.  He could feel the freedom he'd longed for and at last, no one could use the blood oath to bind him.  He was free to make his own path in the world. And the witnesses would doubtlessly spread the word more swiftly than he could have hoped if their retreating forms said anything.  Grima watched as the risen arrived into the temple. Rearing up and bracing himself on his mid and hind wings, Grima spoke, " _Sleep now for eternity's embrace, fall to the shadows from whence you came.  Fall to the light of dawn and fade into distant memory._ " He recited and the risen turned to instant dust.  Grima focused on changing his form back to his human form.  His clothing and weapon within his reach. Grima knew he would need to leave quickly, but the strain was catching up with him.  He staggered towards his clothing and pulled it on. He was already exhausted. He made his way out through the same passage he'd used to enter and knew he likely wouldn't make it to where he needed to be.  Grima leant on the wall. "Damn it…" He hissed softly, as he struggled to keep moving forward. He promised his pup he wouldn't take long and Naga damn it, he was going to keep his word to her. Morgan was all he had and his pup was…

 

Grima felt his whole body quake as he pushed himself onwards.  Shadow was where he left the wyvern and Grima collapsed over the saddle.  His last conscious thought was that the ground sure was shrinking away, despite the fact that Grima wasn't in a position to urge the wyvern to leave.  Blackness claimed him.


	16. Choices Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I suppose...some context is required." He sighed, and Chrom sat in a chair not too far from the bed. Grima snorted softly, other half indeed.
> 
> "What kind of context?" Chrom asked gently,
> 
> "A lesson in history." Grima sighed, "Plegia's history to be precise."

A gentle breeze brushed over him and Grima wrinkled his nose, uncomfortable until he shifted slightly, coming into awareness sharply when he felt the presence of another pressed against his body.  Crimson eyes snapped open to reveal himself on his bed, with Morgan huddled up against him, wrapped in a blanket. Grima frowned slightly. The last thing he recalled was falling over Shadow and...the rest was a haze from then on out.

 

A low sigh escaped him as he settled back down, embracing his pup gently.  He wasn't actually sure how long he'd been out, but by the gods he was starving.  He sighed as he realised that perhaps he should have refrained from going alone but...he glanced at the door and knew he would probably have some lecture.  A low chuckle escaped him unbidden.

 

Just how did he get himself into this mess?

 

Grima sighed.  He supposed he could worry about it later, doubtless Chrom would probably want a few words with him.  A small pang grew in his chest.

 

He should have revealed certain things much sooner, perhaps.

 

Yet explaining such a thing as a blood oath to them…

 

Grima paused and he shifted slightly.  Gods he'd thought the dark mage had  _ finally _ given up on him when she married Gaius.  "Tharja." Grima’s voice was soft but the warning was there, a low giggle was her reply, "You know I dislike those that hide in the dark." Grima sighed softly.  Granted it wasn't like the Shepherds knew about just how much he disliked not being able to fully see who was near him when it came to the darkness, though his sense of smell helped him, it still made him uneasy.

 

Gradually the young woman made her way into the light and she did not seem the least bit chastised by Grima’s words. "So you have finally woken."

Grima huffed, and hissed softly, "Do not wake the pup."

She came to stand not too far from his bed and she spoke, tone suitably low, "You were unconscious for three days." She informed him, "You were like the dead."

Grima stretched slightly, "I told Chrom there was a cost of changing forms." He said making sure that Morgan was comfortable as he tried to carefully move as not to wake her.  She let out a low moan, clutching at his shirt. A low sigh escaped Grima as he knew it would be futile to disturb his pup just yet. She clearly had been distressed by his sudden decision to deal with his "errand".  Worse still he was sure that the others would have their own whispers about what had happened, yet Grima knew that they wouldn't have understood even if he dared to explain. Some things were just better left unsaid and in the past.  He was in the middle of shifting again when the door opened,

"Robin?" Grima tried not to grimace as Chrom entered with Lissa and Maribelle following him.  "Oh, thank Naga, you're awake."

"Really now, what in the name of gods were you thinking?!" Maribelle snapped and Grima spoke,

"Morgan is still asleep." He said quietly and he sighed, "Believe me when I say it was for the best."

"Do you have any idea how much worry you caused us when you completely disappeared and the next thing we knew, Shadow was practically falling from the sky with you draped over the saddle almost like you'd been killed?!" Maribelle spoke sharply and Grima sighed,

"Please refrain from waking Morgan." He spoke softly, and Chrom spoke calmly,

"You really scared everyone Robin." His voice was low enough that Morgan was untroubled by it, though her grip reflexively tightened on Grima’s shirt.  He sighed,

"It was something that needed doing." He replied, voice soft but it carried, "Something I should have done ten years ago." His fingers ran through Morgan's hair, "It...would have saved a lot of hassle for one." Morgan purred softly in her sleep and Grima carefully moved so that her head was resting near his heart.  Morgan seemed to approve of the arrangement and he continued, "I had hoped to keep anyone from harm, since the risen were present and I wasn't exactly sure about how safe it would be to poke around them. They are...somewhat dangerous to approach in their horde numbers." He could see Maribelle's hands on her hips and he knew she would probably want to lecture him about some breach of conduct or some other foolish human complaint.  He frowned as he thought of how best to explain, "I suppose...some context is required." He sighed, and Chrom sat in a chair not too far from the bed. Grima snorted softly, other half indeed.

"What kind of context?" Chrom asked gently,

"A lesson in history." Grima sighed, "Plegia's history to be precise."

 

~*~

 

In the gloom of the cave a dragon slept.  Wings blocking out the light concealing the dragon as  _ he _ slept.  The dragon had been attacked a thousand years prior and had been gathering his strength to enact his plan of retaliation for being attacked by humans without reason.  How dearly they would pay for what they had done as the dragon spent his sleep learning from his mistakes and using the remaining risen to enact his plan. He however would need allies of a sort and who better to use than the human who had come to this cave seeking the Dragon's power.  Yet the only way that the Dragon could do so was by a magical binding blood oath.

 

The dragon, well aware of this had the man shed his lifeblood onto a stone which would soon become a very familiar altar.  The man then had his children offer their lifeblood, and the Dragon's powers allowed him to give them the words which bound them to him, until such time he reincarnated into their bloodline.  The stone became the symbol of the Dragon's oath…

 

The symbol of Grima’s oath with the first Grimleal, a symbol Grima had destroyed now that the oath was fulfilled.

 

~*~

 

"I don't get it." Chrom said with a frown.  Grima expected as much, but he wasn't quite prepared for what happened next, "If that's true, then why was it said-?"

"History is almost always written by the victors, Chrom.  The first Exalt rose only after the Saint King's dynasty was annihilated and supposedly the King's Holy Fang of Naga was lost to time, something I must admit I care little for since it was the fang that did the most inconvenience to me, so I care little of what happened to make it disappear.  The fang you wield is the Queen's Fang." Silence fell and Grima looked down at his pup, still clinging to him, "The fang given to the Hero-King and his bloodline, as blessed by Naga, the Queen of the divine dragons. Naga being a title for their rulers." Grima sighed, "Though to be fair, I never really considered humans to need any weapons of that nature, they're perfectly fine with making their own equally unpleasant weapons that do just as much damage if not more." Grima said quietly.  He should know as the phantom burn ran across his skin and he shuddered. Subconsciously he reached for his left shoulder, the one that had been burned when they found Grima some three and a half years ago.

"I don't think that's entirely true." Chrom reasoned and Grima let out a low scoff,

"It is." He said calmly, "Wyvern slayers for example, or let us not forget, the holy weapons of Jugdrual."

Chrom blinked and then he sighed, "I suppose that is true."

Grima hummed softly, "In the end I only did what was necessary."

"I don't get how breaking some ancient stone has anything to do with-"

"The magic that stone had was enough to force me to adhere to Validar's will, Chrom.  A blood oath is a magically binding contract that will last until the oath is considered fulfilled, usually the one who initiated the oath in the first place."

Chrom froze, "So then...what happens now?  To Plegia I mean."

Grima sighed, "Doubtless they will choose a new ruler and have to figure out their own path." He leant back slightly, "It is not my duty to watch over them, especially since they have not incurred any debts that I am even remotely required to repay." Grima said with a yawn.

"But-"

Grima looked at Chrom, his expression serious, "I chose to leave them.  They do not require my influence." He said as he decided to rest, "Doubtless it is for the best I steer clear of them." A yawn escaped him as he felt his eyes close.  He had a feeling that his indifference was probably a bit of a shock, but in reality he saw no reason to return to Plegia, especially since he was the last person anyone would want to lead them, he was more comfortable as an advisor than a ruler- or the god of destruction as put on him by  _ humans _ thinking he had such mythical powers.  He'd much rather spend his days studying tactics than ruling, especially given his lack of desire to do much else- though looking after his pup certainly was pleasant.  He sighed as sleep claimed him. Yes, the humans of Plegia would be far better without his influence. Perhaps it would stop the wars for a start...though Grima enjoyed destruction perhaps it wasn't always the most proper path.


	17. Epilogue: Invisble Ties

Hands trembled as Grima tried to keep himself calm.  _'Curse Chrom to the seven hells_ ,' He thought to himself as he gripped the buttons.  Why oh why did Chrom have to ask this of Grima?

 

Grima felt uneasy as the thought of taking on _Lucina_ as a mate was as far-fetched as it was possible to be.  Yet at the heart of it…

 

At the heart of it, he supposed he did have warm feelings towards Lucina that more often than not meant he was looking out for her, but he had not realised- perhaps being blindsided by the fact that what he truly felt was the human emotion of love.  An emotion that scared him to no end, yet it wasn't the same for Morgan, who was excitedly bouncing in a new dress that she'd been given by Maribelle to wear for the occasion. To think he would be in _this_ position was impossible.  Grima bit his lip as the thought crossed his mind of Forneus.

 

Forneus had loved the woman whom he lost so much that it turned him mad, and caused Grima's very existence, as well as that of the risen.  What for Grima had not known but…

 

He sighed as Morgan smiled widely and made a quick spin in her dress, excitement making a bittersweet feeling cross in Grima's chest for the moment.  Had his creator not been lost, would he have become something else entirely?

 

Grima sighed as he saw Chrom arrive.  To be fair, this was a path only Grima himself could walk, a path Lucina had agreed to walk with him, one Chrom refused to let them walk without making them an "official" mated couple and Grima still couldn't figure out why that was the case.  Still as it stood, Grima would accept this. After all, it was the path he was choosing to walk, not as Grima, but as Robin. He would always be Grima, but he would also be Robin. And no matter what the future held, he would cherish every happy memory he got to make.  He smiled softly. It was almost time.

 

Validar was wrong.

 

Grima wasn't alone, not anymore.  He had the most precious people who cared for him, a family whom he knew would be there for him always, no matter the challenges he might have to face, as he was there for them.  A family with whom he could step out into a new dawn, one in which the light would finally shine on him as his true self.

 

He would finally be free to walk his own path...for the first time in a very long time.  Nothing was sweeter than that...almost.

 

And the long shadows of despair would be no more.

 

At long last the peace Ylisse had long since earned finally came to be.  A peace that hopefully would last an eternity- though Grima would always prepare for any threats to it, it was his job after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, TSC here XD
> 
> I just wanted to say thank you, for both reading this and giving feedback. Obviously this was once a one shot, and it grew to be so much more. I decided to go for the happy ending (lol) to balance out all of the angsty parts and make it sweet.
> 
> I know there will be some people who will be wondering what next, well...I that for the time being at least I can figure that out, who knows maybe I'll finish another fic while I'm at it XD but still I do want to thank everyone for this journey.
> 
> Sincerely yours  
> Chloey :)


End file.
